| British Columbia, one of the most beautiful provinces in | | | | serpent like with a horse like head. The length of the |
| Canada is also home to a monster. Locals jokingly | | | | monster varies between 50 and 100 feet and the color |
| refer to the beast as Ogopogo, but the natives have | | | | varies between grey and blue. |
| known the creature as Naiaka for hundreds of years. | | | | One of the strangest sightings occurred in 1926 when |
| Ogopogo makes his home in Lake Okanagan. This | | | | more than 26 cars filled with people all related seeing |
| scenic lake located in the heart of British Columbia is | | | | the same thing. The witnesses were all at Mission |
| both deep and wide. It covers an area of nearly 350 | | | | Beach. Another strange account tells the tale of a man |
| square km. It is here that, Ogopogo has been sighted | | | | trying to cross the lake with two horses. The man |
| swimming by hundreds of people throughout the years. | | | | was slowly making his way across the lake when |
| The very first sightings of the monster in the lake | | | | something began to pull his horses under the water. He |
| came from the local natives. They have been seeing a | | | | struggled to get to shore with his horses, but was |
| creature in the lake for perhaps hundreds of years. | | | | forced to cut the ropes between him and the animals |
| According to their legends, a long time ago a man | | | | as they were dragged under. The two horses never |
| became possessed by evil spirits and in his rage and | | | | made it to shore, and no traces were found. |
| delirium, he came across an old and much respected | | | | There have been many theories surrounding the |
| man by the name of Kan-he-kan. In his rage, the | | | | monster. One theory suggests that he is a |
| demon controlled-man killed Kan-he-kan. To pay for his | | | | brachiosaurus, which is a type of prehistoric whale. |
| sins the gods transformed him into a lake monster, so | | | | Another, theory suggests that people have only |
| that he would live forever in the lake to suffer and | | | | misinterpreted what they have seen. Skeptics, claim |
| atone for the crimes he had committed. | | | | that what these people saw was actually floating logs, |
| Natives first named the creature in the lake Naiaka or | | | | other common lake animals, or debris on the surface |
| N'ha-ha-itq. Translated, this name literally means sacred | | | | of the lake. It has even been suggested that Ogopogo |
| creature of the water or lake demon. To appease the | | | | might be a type of large fish, perhaps a sturgeon. |
| creature, natives who had to cross the lake would | | | | Whatever the case Ogopogo remains as elusive as |
| bring an offering, which they would throw, into the | | | | the Loch Ness Monster. If however, you are like many |
| water. They believed that if an offering was not given, | | | | others who believe in the legend of Ogopogo, do not |
| the beast would rise and kill again. | | | | try to chase or hunt this monster. The government of |
| Ogopogo did not receive much attention until he was | | | | B.C. passed a law in 1989, stating that it is illegal to |
| sighted by Mrs. Allison in the 1870's. She saw a strange | | | | harm, capture, kill or disturb him in any way. |
| creature swimming in the lake while she was on the | | | | If you want to see the monster be quiet, careful, pack |
| shore. Since that time, there have been hundreds of | | | | your camera and remember that if you do try to |
| sightings of this mysterious monster. People who have | | | | cross the lake, bring an offering... |
| seen the creature described him as being long and | | | | |