What started it all
In October of 1978, Kelowna resident Bill Steciuk was crossing the bridge from the west side of Lake Okanagan towards Kelowna. He caught a movement in the lake and immediately stopped his car. All the traffic behind him also stopped and he was soon joined at the rail by about 20 other onlookers. All 20 or so people saw what appeared to be a head with three black humps behind it, perhaps 60 metres away, protruding out of the water. Bill and the onlookers watched the creature "swimming" for nearly a minute, after which time it disappeared beneath the water's surface, leaving a substantial wake. This sighting made a believer out of Bill and he vowed to try to one day search for Ogopogo.
At the beginning of the new millenium, a little over 20 years after he first spotted "Ogopogo", Bill reached out to family and friends who joined him in the search. They were ready for their first expedition in August 2000 and also mounted a second one in August 2001. Click here to view the story of these researchers' efforts to find proof of this elusive creature. Click here for details of their expeditions.
Interest in "Ogopogo" has always been quite high in the Okanagan Valley, as well as in many countries around the world. Sightings in the area go back several hundred years and the Lake Monster N'ha-a-itk was an integral part of native folklore. There have been several documentaries filmed over the years and many of the filmmakers have invited Bill Steciuk to join them on their expeditions when they came to Kelowna to investigate the existence of such a creature.