After more than 20 years, Bill was finally able to see his dream of a search expedition come true. He and the crew prepared for their search by renovating a 50-foot X 14-foot houseboat to allow the group to coordinate the use of all the scientific equipment. Len Melnyk of Can Pro Diving Services joined the group, bringing expertise and equipment to the group during their expedition. Len's R.O.V. (Remote Operating Vehicle) could reach depths of 305 metres and was equipped with a video camera and lighting to send high quality pictures for recording on the main vessel.

Armed with high tech sonar equipement donated by Interphase Technologies of Soquel, California, the expedition began on August 12, 2000 and planned to investigate the areas of most concentrated Ogopogo sightings, such as Rattlesnake Island, Ogopogo's homebase according to native legend. With a sheer drop-off to 160 meters on west side of Rattlesnake Island, there are several large underwater caves on the lake's deep walls, some of which have never been explored. On the eighteenth day of the search, the sonar indicated that a fast moving object of about 15 metre-long was 48 metres in front of the boat, at a depth of 7-1/2 metres in an area which was 65 metres deep. The sonar sweep time was 35 seconds. In that time, the creature-like object moved 5 degrees to port, then half a minute later, it dropped below the beam.