Exploring Prehistoric Serpents in Vancouver Island

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In summary, the program suggested that there is an ancient lake serpent that lives in the area around Vancouver Island and the Straight of Juan de Fuca. People I know buy into this stuff worse than Black Friday sales, is there any obvious evidence against this silliness aside from geologic contradiction in the first example?
  • #1
Ai52487963
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Watching a program on the travel channel (not the most scientifically renown station on the planet, I know), they started describing this ancient lake serpent in Lake Okanagan, but if its existed there for so long, how did it exist prior to the lake's formation from glacial melt?! Sigh.

Now they're going on about ca...bora...saurus? Or something. Anyway, they're claiming its supposed to be in and around the area of Vancouver Island and the Straight of Juan de Fuca, right where I live!

People I know buy into this stuff worse than Black Friday sales, is there any obvious evidence against this silliness aside from geologic contradiction in the first example?
 
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  • #2
Ai52487963 said:
Watching a program on the travel channel (not the most scientifically renown station on the planet, I know), they started describing this ancient lake serpent in Lake Okanagan, but if its existed there for so long, how did it exist prior to the lake's formation from glacial melt?! Sigh.
I think you're just supposed to look at the grainy footage and conflicting anecdotal accounts and say "My God! Proof of dinosaurs!" :wink:
Thinking kinda destroys their entire idea eh?


...is there any obvious evidence against this silliness aside from geologic contradiction in the first example?

I've heard of some studies on Loch Ness that concluded there is simply not enough living in the water to support a community of large creatures such as 'Nessie'. Don't know how well this applies to other such beasties.
 
  • #3
There was some very good video of the alleged critter called "Champ", in Lake Champlain.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=111844

It is important to not confuse interpretations of evidence, with raw evidence. Geologic arguments say nothing about the existence of an unknown or temporarily unidentified species. Intead these objections speak to the interpretations of the evidence.
 
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  • #4
As someone else on the page has mentioned, and as one might deduce by reading the posts in this forum, the video linked at the link above is not correct. In the original video, the thing can be seen coming up right alongside their boat.

I tried to spot it at YouTube but didn't see it.

However, I did spot this one: :smile::smile::smile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nXIt0Fihk8&feature=related
 
  • #5
unfortunately a lot of these "creatures" defy a lot of biological laws. Regarding the sea serpent Champ, it is hard to believe a creature that was extinct several thousand years before the lake was created would appear there. From what I have learned thus far, for something to be considered alive and be a prosperous species it would need to reproduce. Wouldn't that mean there would be more than one Nessie or Champ, thus by statistics alone making at least ONE of them likely to be spotted with scientific backing? It's fun to believe in, and I love to read the books and watch the shows! Nothing is more exciting than the thought of new, groundbreaking science! :)
 
  • #6
Pierce258 said:
unfortunately a lot of these "creatures" defy a lot of biological laws. Regarding the sea serpent Champ, it is hard to believe a creature that was extinct several thousand years before the lake was created would appear there.

That is not a required assumption. That is just a popular opinion among believers. Also, who says that it [if it exists] actually lives in the lake? It is hard to make assumptions about what something might be when we don't really have any good evidence by which to describe it.

From what I have learned thus far, for something to be considered alive and be a prosperous species it would need to reproduce. Wouldn't that mean there would be more than one Nessie or Champ, thus by statistics alone making at least ONE of them likely to be spotted with scientific backing? It's fun to believe in, and I love to read the books and watch the shows! Nothing is more exciting than the thought of new, groundbreaking science! :)

Yes, yes, yes, and yes. But this really comes down to a question of how many sightings are misidentifications, biological anomalies, or hoaxes. The video in the link above [not the joke but the original one] was compelling in that the creature looked very strange, and people who know the area were allegedly perplexed, but whether people are actually seeing something unknown to science is impossible to say. Could 100% of these sightings be false alarms? It wouldn't surprise me. Is it possible that there are a few unknown creatures running around that could account for these claims? It wouldn't surprise me. Does it have to be a prehistoric beast in order to exist? I don't see why. I think that argument is a red herring. And I can at least imagine ways that a creature might be so rare as to create this controversy, but I have never seen anything suggesting that this is likely true.
 
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  • #8
matthyaouw said:
I think you're just supposed to look at the grainy footage and conflicting anecdotal accounts and say "My God! Proof of dinosaurs!" :wink:
Thinking kinda destroys their entire idea eh?




I've heard of some studies on Loch Ness that concluded there is simply not enough living in the water to support a community of large creatures such as 'Nessie'. Don't know how well this applies to other such beasties.

For a sustaining population you need a minimum of ten creatures. The food chain requires that the mass of the predators be at most 10% of the mass of the prey. Supposing that Nessie feeds on fish it could not weight more than 300 kg (there is around 30 tons of fish in the lake).
I don't know the numbers for Lake Okanagan, but the reasoning applies.
 
  • #9
Uh, not to be disrespectful of people's beliefs, or anything, but I'll believe in it when I get evidence. That could be a captured specimen, or even a skin scraping with DNA that can be analyzed and compared with other species.
 
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FAQ: Exploring Prehistoric Serpents in Vancouver Island

What evidence exists for prehistoric serpents in Vancouver Island?

There have been numerous fossil findings of prehistoric marine reptiles, such as plesiosaurs and mosasaurs, on Vancouver Island. These creatures lived during the Mesozoic era, which lasted from 252 million years ago to 66 million years ago. Additionally, there have been reported sightings of large, mysterious creatures in the waters surrounding Vancouver Island, which some believe could be modern-day descendants of these prehistoric serpents.

How did these prehistoric serpents become extinct?

The extinction of prehistoric serpents, along with many other species, is believed to be caused by a catastrophic event known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. This event occurred approximately 66 million years ago and is thought to be the result of a large asteroid impact. The impact caused widespread devastation and led to the extinction of approximately 75% of all species on Earth, including the prehistoric serpents.

Have there been any recent sightings of prehistoric serpents in Vancouver Island?

While there have been reported sightings of large, unidentified creatures in the waters surrounding Vancouver Island, there is no concrete evidence to support the existence of prehistoric serpents in modern times. Many scientists believe that these sightings could be attributed to misidentification of known marine animals or hoaxes.

What role do prehistoric serpents play in the ecosystem of Vancouver Island?

During the Mesozoic era, prehistoric serpents were apex predators in the marine ecosystem of Vancouver Island. They played a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the food web, as they preyed upon smaller marine animals. Their extinction has likely had a significant impact on the ecosystem, as all species are interconnected and the loss of one can have ripple effects throughout the ecosystem.

Is there ongoing research or exploration being done on prehistoric serpents in Vancouver Island?

While there have been occasional expeditions and studies conducted on prehistoric serpents in Vancouver Island, there is currently no ongoing research specifically focused on these creatures. However, there is ongoing research on the fossils and geology of Vancouver Island, which can provide insight into the existence and behavior of prehistoric serpents in the area. Additionally, advancements in technology and exploration techniques may lead to future discoveries and a deeper understanding of these ancient creatures.

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