Northern California Has Its Own Loch Ness Monster And Most People Have No Idea
By Jill S.|Published January 30, 2017
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Jill S.
Author
Jill is a freelance writer from a small Northern California town and lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains. If you have an idea for an Only In Northern California story, email her at jsanford@onlyinyourstate.com.
There’s a mysterious creature lurking in the depths of Northern California’s largest lake, and there are very few who know the full story behind this local legend. Tahoe Tessie, possibly a cousin of the world famous Loch Ness monster, has been sighted numerous times by quite reputable sources… or has she?
Like Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, Tahoe Tessie has never been clearly photographed. The first sighting was in the 1950s, when two off-duty police officers out on the lake reported seeing a large, black hump rise from the water.
Then in the 1980s, two fishermen reported seeing a 15-foot-long serpent pass underneath the surface of the water, near Cave Rock. This story is in line with Native American legends of the lake-dwelling creatures in Lake Tahoe told by members of the Washoe and Paiute tribes in the mid-19th century, stating that the creature resides in an underwater tunnel beneath Cave Rock on the east side of the lake.
The historic Tahoe Queen is a ferry that departs from a South Lake Tahoe Marina and is operated by Lake Tahoe Cruises. The classic paddlewheeler is known for family fun and passengers will be entertained by tales from one time resident Mark Twain, a sunset buffet, weekend dancing, natural history, and of course, the tale of Tahoe Tessie.
Lake Tahoe is known for its crystal clear water, sandy beaches and turquoise depths. It's an extremely popular tourist destination, but next time you go wading, be cautious of the mysterious beast that could be lurking beneath the depths.
The lake is one of the deepest in the world, however, reaching up to 1,645 feet deep in some places. There are plenty of places that a creature, friendly or otherwise, could hide far below.
There have been a ton of possible explanations and rumors about Tahoe Tessie. Some think she is an ancient Plesiosaur, Pliosaur, Ichthyosaur or a Mosasaur left over from prehistoric times. This idea is commonly disputed because Lake Tahoe was formed long after the age of dinosaurs, but you never know what freak accident could have brought her here.
Other sightings have claimed that the beast moves up and down like a mammal rather than back and forth like a reptile or fish. The most likely and most mundane explanation is that Tessie is a form of sturgeon or a new species of freshwater eel.
Regardless, the creature has taken her hold on the local culture. Several Tahoe businesses use images of Tessie in their logos and you can see in this photo that this homemade watercraft was clearly and proudly named after her. She has never attacked a human, so it's safe to say that she's a loveable Tahoe mascot we will all just have to learn to live with.
Have you ever spotted Tahoe Tessie? How about the equally mysterious creature that dwells in our forests, Bigfoot? Share your paranormal stories with us on Facebook today, whether they are fun or just plain scary!
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