For many decades, the mystery of the Loch Ness monster in the freshwater lake of Scotland has given birth to various explanations and conspiracy theories. The photograph Robert Kenneth Wilson took in the 1930s had many people, both from the general public and scientific institutions, confused about what kind of animal is Nessie.
After years of failed attempts to identify the Loch Ness monster, researchers suggested a bizarre theory that Nessie's long neck could actually be the snake-like member of a baleen whale.
Various animal penises are displayed in Iceland's Phallological Museum on June 28, 2011 in Husavik. From gigantic whale penises to speck-sized field mouse testicles and lampshades made from bull scrotums, Iceland's small Phallological Museum has it all.
Unusual Origins of Sea Monster Sightings
A team of experts investigating the claim that the alleged neck of the Loch Ness monster could be a whale's penis published a paper in the Archives of Natural History with the title "Cetaceans, Sex and Sea Serpents: An Analysis of the Egede accounts of a "Most Dreadful Monster" Seen off the Coast of Greenland in 1734."
But UK professor Michael Sweet argues it is not true because people back in the day would draw what they saw and have mistaken the whale's snake-like member for a mysterious sea monster that they witnessed while exploring, Daily Star reported. It is where many sea monster stories come from, such as the tentacled and alienesque appendages that came out of the water.
A surprising number of sea monster sightings can be explained by whale boners
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) April 7, 2021
(quick thread, sources here: https://t.co/0P61u33Blr) pic.twitter.com/OCvgxMctNP
He added that whales often mate in groups and while one male is busy with a female, another male would pop his member out of the water, swimming around and waiting for its turn. He further explained that male whales would try to overthrow the primary escort of the female to earn mating rights. It is a competition composed of 12-15 whales.
Professor Sweet shared his thoughts to his 10,000 followers on Twitter, who received mixed feedback about the theory. One commenter even said that if this is proven true, it could be the biggest plot twist in history.
However, a man named Charlie Paxton, who claimed to be one of the authors of the paper, clarified that they never claimed and certainly do not believe that many sea serpent sightings were of whale penises. Instead, they only believe one or two of these sightings.
What Animal Could the Loch Ness Monster Be?
A team of researchers from New Zealand who was studying the animals and plants in Loch Ness said that the creatures behind the repeated sightings of Nessie could be giant eels, BBC reported
They have tried to catalog all the native species living in the freshwater lake of Scotland by extracting DNA from water samples. Their analysis showed that there is no evidence of prehistoric marine reptiles known as plesiosaur or large fish like sturgeon found in the lake, ruling out the presence of large animals that is behind reports of Nessie sightings.
Moreover, there are no DNA as well of catfish and Greenland sharks found in the waters of Loch Ness. But they did detect the DNA of European eels that live on the loch.
Other theories of the Loch Ness monster include elephants swimming in the lake while the traveling carnivals stopped to let animals rest, and a large fallen branch floating that caused the sightings. Science Times previously reported the first two official sightings of Nessie via a webcam and a sonar from a tourist boat.
Read also: Loch Ness Monster Second Sighting in 2022: Tourist Detects Nessie 400ft Below Surface Via Sonar
Check out more news and information on Loch Ness Monster in Science Times.
