Can YOU spot ‘the Loch Ness monster’? Girl’s photo of mysterious creature is branded the ‘best picture’ of the sea beast in years

A little girl’s photo of the elusive ‘Loch Ness Monster’ has been voted the best photo of the beast in years and is on the official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register.

Charlotte Robinson was staying at the Loch Ness Highland Lodges in Inmorriston in 2018 when something popped up in the water 50 feet from the shore.

Charlotte grabbed her camera and was able to snap a picture of a blob in the water that apparently surfaced for a minute before disappearing again. reports the Mirror.

Charlotte had been on holiday with her parents Kat and Dave when the incident happened around 7pm one night.

Charlotte described the moment when she came face to face with “Nessie” and explained that she knew “something” had been up.

The grainy image appears to show an object moving out of the gray water

She said, “There was something in the water about fifty feet from shore. I took a picture. It had a neck and the head was shaped like a hook.

“I just took what I saw. It was black, I just don’t know how far it was out of the water. I’m not good at estimating distances.

“But after about a minute it disappeared and resurfaced in a different place. The second time it took less than a minute.

“I kind of believed in Nessie, but I wanted to see the proof. I always imagined her to have a long neck and webbed feet. I saw something, but I’m not sure what.’

The photo was received with ecstasy by the Nessie spotting community, including longtime lake hermit Steve Feltham, who has watched the water for the past 27 years.

Mr Feltham, 55, holder of the Guinness world record for the longest continuous Loch Ness monster hunting vigil, said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled by this photo – it’s the best of “Nessie” in years.

“It clearly has a solid object in it and it’s relatively clear. It justifies further investigation. There may be an everyday explanation like a seal, but I’ve never heard of a seal in the lake this year.

“For my money, he’s bigger than a seal or an otter. It’s a fantastic picture of Charlotte.’

Rumors of a strange creature living in the waters of Loch Ness have abounded in recent decades, but little evidence has yet been found to support these claims.

The first reported sighting of the monster is said to have been made in AD 565 by the Irish missionary St. Columba, when he encountered a giant beast in the River Ness.

An online registry lists a total of over 1,000 Nessie sightings made by Mr Campbell, the man behind the official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club, and is available at www.lochnesssightings.com.

So what could explain these mysterious sightings?

Many Nessie witnesses have reported large, crocodile-like scales sitting atop the creature’s spine, leading some to believe an escaped amphibian could be to blame.

Native fish sturgeons can also weigh hundreds of pounds and have ribbed backs, giving them an almost reptilian appearance.

Some believe that Nessie is a long-necked plesiosaur – like an elasmosaur – that somehow survived when all other dinosaurs were wiped out.

Others say the sightings are related to Scots pines dying off and plunging into the lake, before quickly submerging and sinking.