Classification: Mythical Beasts & Cryptids

Temporal Range: 17th Century to present

Geographic Range: Lake Champlain, North America

Diet: Small fish and other aquatic creatures

Lake Champlain’s answer to the Loch Ness Monster, Champ is a lesser spotted plesiosaur. Well, if you consider around 300 sightings to be “lesser spotted.” First documented sightings of the lake-dwelling creature date back as early as the 1600s with the first European settlers to the area claiming to see a “serpent thick as a barrel” and going on to state that it has a horse-like head.

Sightings continued right up until the early 2000s and a photograph has even been taken, capturing the strange shape of Champ. While some have speculated that the photograph may just be floating driftwood, other sceptical observers have suggested that Champ may just be a large gar.

However, strange sightings are not the only evidence for Champ as sounds have also been recorded. These have been described as similar to the noises made by orcas but with Lake Champlain never having held any kind of ocean mammals like orcas, where are these noises coming from? If keen on recruiting Champ to your cause, we recommend an exceptionally large tank suitable for freshwater creatures.