RICHARD FREEMAN: Ronald Mackenzie's sonar image

Ronald Mackenzie's sonar image is highly interesting. Firstly sonar expert Craig Wallace said the image was “100 per cent genuine. He said it may be a shoal of fish or a sturgeon. I have no doubt that sturgeons were involved in many sightings of 'the monster' in the past. Certainly thouse who described it as looking like a log or a crocodile. The beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) can reach 23 feet long at its extream,, the size of a big Nile crocodile. As adults they also develop humped backs as is mentioned in many accounts. However the beluga sturgeon is now criticaly endangered due to overcollection of its eggs. Its visitations to Loch Ness must now be ultra rare. Indeed a recent examination of eDNA in the loch found no evidence of this species.

Mackenzie himself thinks the object, which appears to be 33 feet long could be a sturgeon or a 'big eel'. The eDNA sampling mentuoned above found eel dna in such abundence that the scientists involved thought it must come from either a large population of eels or huge individuals. Like the sturgeopn, the European eel is also criticaly endangered due to overfishing, hydroelectric dams and pollution. The latter idea of massive individuals seems the more likey.

Legendary Loch Ness scholar Steve Feltham said of Mackenzie “It is extremely exciting. I have known Ronald Mackenzie for 30 years. He’s a Highland lad who does not seek publicity and shies away from the fanciful Nessie theories.

“He’s not somebody who would cry wolf – or Nessie – but within seven minutes of getting the sonar contact he messaged me.

“I definitely think Nessie is an animal. I think we are getting closer to finding the answer.”

Last year another sonar image was captured in the loch by Mike Bell. It showed a long, thin object some 25 feet in length and 115 feet down.

SOURCE MATERIAL

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3 days ago — The sonar image taken at Loch Ness by tour boat skipper Ronald Mackenzie. Picture: Peter Jolly. Nessie lovers are excited after new evidence ...

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4 days ago — The image was caught by Cruise Loch Ness director Ronald Mackenzie while he was skippering a catamaran on Wednesday afternoon.

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www.dailyrecord.co.uk › ... › Loch Ness monster

4 days ago — The sonar image was captured by Cruise Loch Ness director Ronald Mackenzie while he was skippering a catamaran on Wednesday ...