The Legend in the Lake

Okanagan Lake is located in the southern interior of British Columbia. It is about 80 miles long and about 1,000 feet at its deepest point. It is the home of the lake monster Ogopogo -- the Okanagan’s most famous resident. The legend of Ogopogo has intrigued people for generations. People, not only in Canada but from around the world, have shown an interest in solving the puzzle of Ogopogo. What is Ogopogo? Is it a real animal, or is it a story-book creature? Many people who have seen Ogopogo say that at first they thought they had just seen a log. But when the log moved under its own power and dived under water, people realized that they had seen more than just a log. Arlene Gaal, the Okanagan’s expert on Ogopogo sightings, says that there are between five and seven sightings a year that are reported. She suspects there are at least that number of sightings, if not more, that go unreported. Indeed, many people fear that they would be ridiculed if they told anyone about their experiences. Some people are skeptical when it comes to Ogopogo and other lake monsters. They think Ogopogo is a wave caused by a boat or is a shadow caused by sunlight reflecting on the water. Many people have taken photographs of what they say is Ogopogo. But the creature turns out to be too fuzzy or too far away for the pictures to be solid evidence of Ogopogo’s existence. Ogopogo has remained a mystery for more than a century.