The Loch Ness monster—known as Nessie—has remained a mystery for generations, with some claiming it’s a dinosaur that somehow survived for millions of years, a legendary beast, or something even more paranormal.
But one researcher, Steve Feltham, thinks it’s much more mundane: a catfish.
Feltham started investigating Nessie more than 24 years ago.
“This is an explainable phenomena. There is something to be explained in Loch Ness. Looking at all the evidence, speaking to eyewitnesses, the most likely solution is a Wels catfish,” he told Sky News. The Wels catfish is a type of fish that can grow to be 13 feet long, weigh several hundred pounds, and live for decades. The fish isn’t native to the U.K.
“We get sonar contacts with things that are far bigger than any fish that should live in this body of water,”Feltham added. “We only get one or two decent sightings a year.” He added that catfish could be the culprit.
Feltham quit his job 24 years ago to work on hunting the Loch Ness monster full-time.
“I certainly don’t regret the last 24 years,” Feltham said, according to Sky News, “I’m in my utopia living here on the shores of the loch.”