Lecture: The loch Ness and the mysteries of the Monster Nessie: Oxford and Cambridge Universities Expedition

Oxford and Cambridge Universities Expedition

The first major scientifically planned expedition of Loch Ness was conducted on June 27^th to July 23^rd 1960 by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Its purpose was to make a general study of the loch, many volunteer graduates and under graduates participated. They used cameras and an echo sounder mounted on a boat. They saw the monster moving through the water and some days later, the thing that continually changed its shape was seen in the loch.

Dinsdale’s evidence was strengthened in 1966 when the Royal Air Force studied the film and came to the conclusion that it was not a surface vessel or a submarine but some animate object. Thanks to Dinsdale’s film, “The Bureau for Investigating the Loch Ness Phenomena Ltd” or LNI as it is known, was formed by MP Sir David James, Constance White, naturalists Sir Peter Scott and Richard Fitter.

The expeditions ran for 10 years and the main study was surface watching using fixed and mobile camera stations around the loch. It was one of these cameras that gave them a very good piece of photographic evidence.

More witnesses

Tourists, ships, and also internationally recognized corporations participated in the search of the monster. Among them, Boston Academy of Science, The NASA, The American Smithsonian Institute, The New England Aquarium and The British Museum of Natural History. But neither the photos, nor the object seen on the loch is enough to determine what kind of animal Nessie is. And the search continues.