Man Spends 24 Years Hunting Loch Ness Monster, Comes To Sad Truth

Steve Feltham gave up everything to find the legendary Loch Ness monster— his girlfriend, his job, and even his house. He believed he could solve the mystery of the famed sea creature, and 24 years after he began his search, he has come to a conclusion. And unfortunately, it’s probably one that he didn’t want to be true, but Feltham suspects that the primitive beast is merely a Wels catfish.

A sad conclusion to come to after dedicating your entire life in search of the truth, but a truth nonetheless. After nearly a quarter century of camping by the banks of Scotland’s River Ness, Feltham believes he solved the mystery behind good old Nessie, that she is not a monster at all. According to Reuters, Feltham says that the dark waters are home to a Wels catfish, a type of fish known to grow up to 13 feet long. He admitted:

Though it is unlikely these conclusions will stop the thousands of tourists that visit the site every year, with the belief that there is indeed a monster lurking in the dark watered lake, Feltham can now hopefully move on with his life, away from the haunting mystery that had him obsessed for many, many years. He certainly isn’t the first to attempt tracking down the monstrous creature. There have been countless attempts since the first written record that relates to the Irish monk St Columba, fabled to have banished the ‘water beast’ to the depths of the River Ness long before the catfish was even introduced to the lake.

Back in 2003, BBC even funded an in depth scientific search that used 600 sonar beams and satellite tracking, concluding that there was probably nothing there. And even after the famed “Surgeon’s Photo” was revealed to be a hoax, it hasn't stopped people from searching for the myth. Feltham even said he doesn’t regret wasting the 24 years of his life:

Maybe he enjoyed his time basking at the lake? I certainly can't imagine 24 years going by with that disappointing result.