Lake "monsters" have been reported by thousands of people over the years in all parts of the world. Do they really exist? Is there a plausible explanation? Have some few prehistoric creatures somehow managed to survive the ages where most became extinct, but such that a handful still thrive in modern times? Many people have spent a lot of time studying reports of these cryptids in many countries around the globe. These are animals that cryptozoologists believe may exist somewhere in the wild, but whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated by science, such as the world-renown Loch Ness Monster.
How does a legend like Ogopogo start? It starts with sightings of something unexplainable. Over the past several centuries, countless people have claimed to have seen what they believed to be Ogopogo or N'ha-a-itk (the original name by which it was known by local native inhabitants of what is now the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada). In modern times, there have been several photos taken of this anomaly. All these reports certainly lend credence to this so-called "legend". Click here to read about many of the reported sightings.
Scientists have put forth the theory that unlike the world-renown "Loch Ness Monster", nicknamed "Nessie", the Lake Okanagan "resident" is probably a form of primitive whale, Basilosaurus Cetoides, which tallies almost exactly with the loglike descriptions by people who claim to have seen it.
The legend is such a large part of British Columbian folklore that the Canadian Government even issued an "Ogopogo" postal stamp in the 1990's, reflecting one artist's idea of what Ogopogo may look like, as described during many reported sightings up until that time.
Because of the sheer number of reported sightings in various parts of Lake Okanagan, a great many people believe that something does indeed exist, with the general consensus being that it is possibly a species that has survived due to the depth of Lake Okanagan and its cooler temperatures. Seasonally cooler temperatures and decreased boat activity in the Fall could also explain the fact that the majority of reported sightings seems to be between late August and early October.