Bigfoot on a water ski
Posted on 02/28/2006 12:58:07 PM PST by presidio9
A NESSIE hunt using a team of dolphins was planned by the Tory government, according to declassified secret documents.
Within days of the 1979 election, officials in Margaret Thatcher's regime proposed importing the mammals from America and fitting them with hi-tech equipment to scour Loch Ness.
Despite opposition from animal rights groups, it was argued that finding the monster would benefit local tourism.
A letter from Environment Department civil servant David Waymouth to Stewart Walker at the Scottish Home and Health Department, showed the Government wanted a licence to initiate the plan.
It stated: "This department is presently considering the issue of a licence to import two bottle-nosed dolphins from America for the purpose of exploring Loch Ness.
"Inquiries have been made with the mammal experts on the Scientific Authority for Animals and their advice is that there are no conservation or welfare reasons for refusing a licence.
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"Clearly, however, there are other factors, mainly political, that you might wish to consider before the licence is issued."
The National Archive of Scotland contains no record of a response to the letter, which was released under the Freedom of Information Act.
However, Adrian Shine, a naturalist who has been investigating the Loch Ness mystery for several decades, said he believed the dolphin plan was the brainchild of veteran monster hunter Dr Robert Rines.
Dr Rines was the founder of the American-based Academy of Applied Science who took a now-famous underwater photograph in 1972, which appeared to show a large flipper in the loch.
The Academy of Applied Science in New Hampshire confirmed that dolphins were being trained with mini cameras and strobe lights that would have been activated if they encountered any large objects.
Last week, it was revealed that civil servants made plans to give Nessie legal protection from poachers and bounty hunters in the early 80s.
The plan was instigated when the Swedish government asked for help to preserve their equivalent, the Storsjo monster.
UK officials then realised there was nothing to stop a trophy hunter from tracking down the beast and killing her.
It was eventually decided that Nessie should be protected as part of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, rather than specific legislation.
Under the provisions of the Act it is illegal to snare, shoot or blow up the monster.
Why search the loch... 'Nessie' is created in a darkroom.
See, I'm with you there. I am VERY skeptical when it comes to things like that, and I profess to be someone who likes to discount urban legends that people believe in. I don't believe anything I get on the internet.
But there are exceptions.
Ping for keeping track of this.
By the by, you people are odd. (Not saying that's bad, mind.)
~Moshi-chan
Well........we are adapted to "constant contact" with air but we don't melt when we go swimming in water. I'm no marine biologist, but I don't think a few days in fresh water would be all that harmful to a dolphin.
OOps! I never was all that astute at Geography...
Obviously... {B^{P~
Thanx 4 the correction!
I believe Panda Bears were believed to be a myth too until the early 1900's?
Giant Pandas "discovered" in 1869.
Using quotes as there were tales and sightings of them before that.
Neither do I that's why I do research on something ... nice to see a like mind ....
What a load. There is a Loch Ness Monster and in 89 I saw it myself. I was in Aberdeen that fall and spend every weekend exploring Scotland. One weekend was spend walking the hills on the south side of the lake, away from the major tourist areas. I spent the night at a nice, small inn, and after diner set on the porch talking to the locals. After my fourth or fifth straight scotch I swear I saw her right there on the lake, pulling Bigfoot on a water ski.
Hmmm, I thought it only took two drinks to see it ... you seem to have more tolerance for booze than most .... >grin<
I had lived in South Africa for awhile just before I was in Scotland and was in better shape!
Well that certainly explains that!
Actually, I was admiring Hermey's fine dental work.
Bigfoot on a water ski
No, no, no.
It's HERBIE!
I sentence you to watch Rudolph for probably the 500th time.
:)
"All I want dolphins with frikin' laser beams attached to their heads, is that too much to ask?"
"They call him Flipper,Flipper, faster than lightning..."
Yeah, I'm sure all those tourist traps actually want the myth of Nessie definitively proved one way or another. On the one hand, not knowing is good for business, on the other, knowing it's a hoax would be economically catastrophic.
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