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NARRATOR: Alaska,
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a vast, remote wilderness
twice the size of Texas.
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There are dangerous,
unpredictable forces
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at work here.
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NARRATOR: In one of
the most mysterious
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corners of the globe...
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A lot of things can kill you
out here without even trying.
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NARRATOR: ...this is a place
hundreds of times more deadly
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than the Bermuda Triangle.
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MAN: Oh, my God.
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NARRATOR:
Stories of alien abductions...
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I believe it was a UFO.
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NARRATOR: ...the paranormal,
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vanishing airplanes,
and strange beasts...
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The Alaskan Bigfoot.
He can rip you in half.
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These accounts
are really widespread.
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[Bleep] it peeked out
of the tree right there.
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NARRATOR: ...have haunted those
who dare set foot here.
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In the last 30 years,
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16,000 people have disappeared
without a trace.
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More people have disappeared
than the Bermuda Triangle,
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two to three times the amount.
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NARRATOR: Witnesses tell us
their shocking stories...
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I was petrified.
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NARRATOR: ...and we've gathered
some of the world's
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leading experts
in their field...
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I'm always after
scientific evidence
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that can be
independently corroborated.
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NARRATOR: ...to try and unlock
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the mystery of
the Alaska Triangle.
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♪♪
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Just like the Bermuda Triangle,
the Alaska Triangle
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is a place of mysterious events
and unexplained phenomena,
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and one of the strangest stories
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has emerged from the depths
of this vast and isolated lake.
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Both outside experts
and locals have been left
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asking the question,
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"What exactly is it
that lies beneath these waters?"
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I was sitting there in awe,
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just dumbstruck of what the heck
am I looking at?
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There's definitely
something big down there.
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♪♪
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NARRATOR: In Alaska,
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there are over 3,000 rivers
and 3 million lakes,
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most still unexplored.
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Local folklore tells of
hidden channels
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linking the waterways
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and monstrous beasts
lurking in the depths.
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We're not dealing with a mirage,
a deluded individual.
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We're not dealing with
mistaken identities.
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We've got something
that needs explaining.
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NARRATOR: The most terrifying
creature of them all
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is said to live here
in Lake Iliamna.
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And now multiple eyewitnesses
have stepped forward to suggest
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that this monster
is no mere legend.
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♪♪
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At 77 miles long
and 25 miles wide,
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Iliamna is the biggest lake
in Alaska.
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It's the second-biggest
freshwater lake
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in the whole
of the United States.
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It's also one of the hardest
places to get to
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in the whole of the US.
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It's hundreds of miles
from the nearest main road.
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When viewed from the air,
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the lake is shaped
like a giant fish.
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Could this be a clue
to what lurks within?
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♪♪
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Cryptozoologist Cliff Barackman,
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one of America's leading
Bigfoot investigators,
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now has his sights fixed on
finding the monster of the lake.
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♪♪
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His first stop is the lake's
southern shore,
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close to the village
of Kokhanok.
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♪♪
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I'm Cliff Barackman,
and I am in Kokhanok, Alaska,
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on the shores of Lake Iliamna,
Alaska's largest lake.
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In some places, this lake
is over 1,000 feet deep.
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There's no telling what could be
swimming around
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in the bottom of this lake.
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NARRATOR: Cliff is here to meet
the latest eyewitness.
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It's none less than the borough
manager, Nathan Hill.
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On this beach one afternoon
in 2017,
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Nathan was one of a handful
of people at this very spot
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who witnessed the monster
out on the lake.
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So, Nathan, the reason I came
up here is to investigate
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some of the stories about the
creature that lives in the lake.
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What's your experience
with the creature?
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It was a calm day,
and I looked out,
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and I saw something
in the lake.
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And there was at least
half a dozen people
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that had gathered around
to see what was out there.
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And at that time,
I had my cellphone,
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and I was recording in case
something was to surface.
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Probably somewhere between
300 and 500 yards off the beach,
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there was something that made
some pretty big wakes,
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and everybody there
witnessed it,
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and I got it
on a short video clip.
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Nathan hasn't posted
his video online.
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In fact,
this is the first time
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he's agreed to show it
to any outsider.
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♪♪
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At first, it doesn't look as if
there's anything to see,
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but then towards the top
left of the frame,
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something strange appears.
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HILL: No, look, wait, there!
Look at that right there.
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- See it?
- What is that?
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- Gary, what is it?
- Whoa.
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NARRATOR: It looks like
a giant sea serpent
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with three humps
breaking the surface.
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♪♪
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If Nathan is right
about the distance,
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that would make just the visible
part of this lake creature
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40 to 50 feet long.
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Wow.
Crazy, right?
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That's cool.
That's really cool.
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Yeah.
That's great.
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The quality is poor,
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so we're going to
send off the video
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for some expert analysis.
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- Three of them.
- Look, Gary.
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Shortly after this sighting,
Nathan's friend, Thaniel,
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had a monster experience
of his own.
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00:06:01,344 --> 00:06:04,068
He's a fisherman
and was out in his canoe
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when the creature surfaced
just yards from him.
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What did it
look like?
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Like a giant snake creature.Uh-huh.
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Wide as the canoe
and three to four times longer
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than the canoe and black,
leathery-looking kind of skin.
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00:06:22,827 --> 00:06:25,896
It had, like,
the arch where --
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You know,
it didn't just go straight.
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It actually had, like, a little
arch with it or something.
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Like a jaw.Like the snout came out.
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An arched neck means
this was no giant fish,
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and it didn't move
like a fish either.
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Where it has, like, the head,
the hump, and the hump,
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it would do its --
It was like that.
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I was sitting there in awe,
just dumbstruck
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00:06:50,586 --> 00:06:53,724
of what the heck
am I looking at?
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Thaniel's description
does seem to match the monster
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than Nathan caught on video,
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a giant serpent-like creature
with humps.
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♪♪
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And from the safety
of the shore,
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Thaniel took his own video.
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♪♪
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He managed to capture
this glimpse of the creature
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just before it disappeared
under the surface.
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KEESLING: Yeah, what is that?
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♪♪
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NARRATOR:
It's only in modern times
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that people around the lake
have had phones and cameras,
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but stories of the creature
go way back.
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The native people of the area
have lived here
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for nearly 10,000 years.
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♪♪
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For them, the story of the
lake monster is no fairy tale.
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It's part of their oral history.
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Raymond Wassille
is a native elder.
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I heard stories from
all my eldest before me
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of how they saw it,
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and stories are the ones that
tell the truth for the nomadics
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because they didn't know
how to write it.
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NARRATOR: As a young man,
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Raymond himself had a close-up
encounter with the monster
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when he was out on the lake
with his family.
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♪♪
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WASSILLE: My dad was on
the cabin looking at it.
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He said, "It's longer
than the boat,"
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and the boat was almost, like,
32-footer end-to-end.
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It looked like it had a hump,
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and then I couldn't judge it,
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but it looked like it had three
on the way back to it,
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then it kind of sloped,
and it had a tail,
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and the head looked like
it could swallow you.
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♪♪
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NARRATOR: Three humps, just like
in the video filmed by Nathan.
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♪♪
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Anthropologist
Robbin Lavine is an expert
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on the native folklore.
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As an outsider,
she was always skeptical
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about these stories
of a lake monster.
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That is, until one July day
back in 2008.
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A colleague of mine and I were
flying back into a fish camp
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where we had been
conducting research,
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and we were on our way down,
flying over a bay.
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We were very close to landing,
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and I saw something
in the shallows,
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something I hadn't seen before.
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At first I thought it were
two seals twisting together,
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and then I realized no,
it was one creature.
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NARRATOR: Robbin's first thought
was a beluga whale.
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Belugas do swim in the waters
of Alaska,
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and the size was about right,
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00:10:04,241 --> 00:10:06,965
but belugas are
almost white in color.
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00:10:06,965 --> 00:10:09,413
The creature Robbin saw
was dark.
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It was pebble-colored.
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It had a sinuous movement
about it,
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00:10:15,655 --> 00:10:18,379
but it was definitely
not an eel.
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00:10:18,379 --> 00:10:23,620
I could see pectoral fins.
I could see tail fins.
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As soon as we landed and we were
taxiing up to the shore,
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00:10:26,931 --> 00:10:29,172
I asked the pilot,
"What was that that we saw
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00:10:29,172 --> 00:10:30,655
just in the bay
as we were descending?"
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00:10:30,655 --> 00:10:31,965
and he got really excited.
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"What did you see?
What did you see?"
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00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,344
and I told him, and he said,
"Congratulations.
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00:10:37,344 --> 00:10:39,448
You've seen
the Iliamna lake monster."
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♪♪
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I was really surprised,
but it was at that time
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00:10:45,896 --> 00:10:47,896
then that I recalled
the stories I had heard,
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00:10:47,896 --> 00:10:50,448
the stories that I had dismissed
years earlier
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about something in the water.
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NARRATOR: Does Lake Iliamna
really have a giant
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00:10:56,586 --> 00:10:59,517
unknown creature
living in its waters?
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00:10:59,517 --> 00:11:03,379
It sounds extraordinary,
but this whole area is rife
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00:11:03,379 --> 00:11:08,965
with stories of strange beasts
and mysterious creatures.
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00:11:08,965 --> 00:11:11,793
Around here, news of
a lake monster
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00:11:11,793 --> 00:11:13,931
wouldn't even be that unusual.
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00:11:22,137 --> 00:11:29,655
♪♪
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00:11:29,655 --> 00:11:31,827
NARRATOR:
All over the Alaska Triangle,
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00:11:31,827 --> 00:11:38,000
there is talk of undiscovered
species and strange animals.
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00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,137
The best known is
the monstrous beast
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00:11:40,137 --> 00:11:44,862
said to live in Lake Iliamna,
the state's biggest lake,
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00:11:44,862 --> 00:11:47,379
but the mysteries
surrounding this lake
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00:11:47,379 --> 00:11:51,344
go beyond what lurks beneath.
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00:11:51,344 --> 00:11:55,724
Schoolteacher Sarah Armstrong
lives overlooking the lake,
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00:11:55,724 --> 00:11:59,965
but she grew up most in fear
of Iliamna's Bigfoot creature,
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00:11:59,965 --> 00:12:03,551
what the locals call
the Hairy Man.
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00:12:03,551 --> 00:12:05,620
I remember growing up
as a little girl,
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00:12:05,620 --> 00:12:10,172
we would tease each other
when we were out late at night,
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00:12:10,172 --> 00:12:12,310
"Watch out for the Hairy Man,"
and you know,
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00:12:12,310 --> 00:12:16,620
it would kind of give you this
spooky feeling and the chills.
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00:12:16,620 --> 00:12:18,172
NARRATOR:
But it was as an adult
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00:12:18,172 --> 00:12:21,586
that Sarah
had a firsthand experience.
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00:12:21,586 --> 00:12:26,413
Myself and two of my friends,
we were going on a camping trip,
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00:12:26,413 --> 00:12:31,931
and Ray, who's up in the bow,
says, "What the hell is that?"
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00:12:33,275 --> 00:12:36,413
And we're all looking
in this direction,
237
00:12:36,413 --> 00:12:39,931
and our minds are just wondering
what it is we're seeing
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00:12:39,931 --> 00:12:43,517
and trying
to focus your eyes,
239
00:12:43,517 --> 00:12:48,689
and within just a blink
of an eye, it was gone.
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00:12:48,689 --> 00:12:50,965
It just disappeared,
241
00:12:50,965 --> 00:12:57,413
and we were just kind of in awe
and stunned for a moment,
242
00:12:57,413 --> 00:13:00,344
and then we look
at each other like,
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00:13:00,344 --> 00:13:03,103
"Is that what we think
we just saw?
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00:13:03,103 --> 00:13:05,275
Did we just see this?"
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00:13:05,275 --> 00:13:10,655
It just looked like
a tall, black figure.
246
00:13:12,379 --> 00:13:14,310
I didn't really feel scared.
247
00:13:14,310 --> 00:13:17,241
I was just maybe more curious
about the whole thing
248
00:13:17,241 --> 00:13:21,551
and kind of amazed
249
00:13:21,551 --> 00:13:26,103
that what we saw is what we saw.
250
00:13:26,103 --> 00:13:29,034
Something I've heard
about my whole life,
251
00:13:29,034 --> 00:13:30,758
I actually witnessed.
252
00:13:30,758 --> 00:13:34,034
♪♪
253
00:13:34,034 --> 00:13:35,137
NARRATOR:
There have been sightings
254
00:13:35,137 --> 00:13:36,551
of other strange cryptids
255
00:13:36,551 --> 00:13:38,206
around the lake too,
256
00:13:38,206 --> 00:13:41,448
including a bird the size
of a small plane
257
00:13:41,448 --> 00:13:44,517
said to resemble
a prehistoric pterodactyl.
258
00:13:44,517 --> 00:13:47,137
♪♪
259
00:13:47,137 --> 00:13:50,413
But the greatest is
the Lake Iliamna creature.
260
00:13:50,413 --> 00:13:55,689
If it exists, it would dwarf
anything in Alaska.
261
00:13:55,689 --> 00:13:59,137
In fact, there's only one
obvious comparison,
262
00:13:59,137 --> 00:14:02,241
the most famous lake monster
in the world,
263
00:14:02,241 --> 00:14:04,068
the Loch Ness Monster.
264
00:14:04,068 --> 00:14:08,758
♪♪
265
00:14:08,758 --> 00:14:10,931
Does Lake Iliamna in Alaska
266
00:14:10,931 --> 00:14:13,655
really have its own
prehistoric monster?
267
00:14:13,655 --> 00:14:17,586
♪♪
268
00:14:17,586 --> 00:14:20,379
Dr. Robert Alley
is a retired professor
269
00:14:20,379 --> 00:14:25,413
from the University of Alaska
and an expert cryptozoologist.
270
00:14:25,413 --> 00:14:27,241
Everyone has heard
of the Loch Ness Monster.
271
00:14:27,241 --> 00:14:29,172
Well, it stands to reason
if there could be a monster
272
00:14:29,172 --> 00:14:33,758
in Loch Ness, there could
be monsters elsewhere too.
273
00:14:33,758 --> 00:14:35,000
There's definitely
something there.
274
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,310
There have been photos,
sonograms,
275
00:14:37,310 --> 00:14:39,896
pictures that have caused waves
around the world.
276
00:14:39,896 --> 00:14:45,551
♪♪
277
00:14:45,551 --> 00:14:49,310
Many researchers have
hypothesized that Loch Ness
278
00:14:49,310 --> 00:14:53,103
could hold a relic population
of plesiosaurs,
279
00:14:53,103 --> 00:14:56,862
that is, extinct marine reptile.
280
00:14:56,862 --> 00:14:58,655
NARRATOR:
The head of a plesiosaur
281
00:14:58,655 --> 00:15:00,068
would be an exact match
282
00:15:00,068 --> 00:15:02,862
for the monster spotted
by Thaniel Keesling
283
00:15:02,862 --> 00:15:04,724
when he was out in his canoe.
284
00:15:04,724 --> 00:15:06,620
KEESLING:
It had, like, that arch.
285
00:15:06,620 --> 00:15:08,793
Like a jaw.Like, the snout came out.
286
00:15:10,689 --> 00:15:13,034
And it's a good match
for the traditional image
287
00:15:13,034 --> 00:15:14,965
of the Loch Ness Monster.
288
00:15:14,965 --> 00:15:17,793
♪♪
289
00:15:17,793 --> 00:15:20,482
And this Loch Ness photo
from the '50s
290
00:15:20,482 --> 00:15:25,517
seems to show a huge
water creature with humps,
291
00:15:25,517 --> 00:15:28,344
just like the monster
seen by Nathan Hill.
292
00:15:28,344 --> 00:15:32,793
♪♪
293
00:15:32,793 --> 00:15:36,034
Every year, a million people
visit Loch Ness
294
00:15:36,034 --> 00:15:40,655
in the hope of catching a
glimpse of the mysterious beast.
295
00:15:40,655 --> 00:15:42,413
Compared to Loch Ness,
296
00:15:42,413 --> 00:15:45,758
Lake Iliamna
is remote and isolated.
297
00:15:45,758 --> 00:15:47,655
Few tourists come here,
298
00:15:47,655 --> 00:15:52,310
and only about 600 people
live on its shores.
299
00:15:52,310 --> 00:15:56,689
The lake is also over 50 times
bigger than Loch Ness.
300
00:15:56,689 --> 00:15:59,620
If finding the Loch Ness Monster
is difficult,
301
00:15:59,620 --> 00:16:03,827
then what are the chances here?
302
00:16:03,827 --> 00:16:05,862
There's one man who thinks
the monster
303
00:16:05,862 --> 00:16:08,310
may already have been found.
304
00:16:08,310 --> 00:16:09,586
We got a quick giveaway here.
305
00:16:09,586 --> 00:16:11,310
This Memorial Day Weekend,
306
00:16:11,310 --> 00:16:13,758
Americans will take time
to remember and honor
307
00:16:13,758 --> 00:16:15,793
those who died
while serving our country.
308
00:16:15,793 --> 00:16:19,517
NARRATOR: Local radio deejay
Bob Bird has unearthed evidence
309
00:16:19,517 --> 00:16:21,620
that back in 1967,
310
00:16:21,620 --> 00:16:26,862
the monster of Lake Iliamna
was not only found but caught.
311
00:16:26,862 --> 00:16:29,413
In a plane like this,
Chuck Crapaschutz,
312
00:16:29,413 --> 00:16:32,310
who was a Christian missionary,
313
00:16:32,310 --> 00:16:35,137
spotted from the air
and radioed some friends,
314
00:16:35,137 --> 00:16:37,206
"I've got this large fish
315
00:16:37,206 --> 00:16:40,896
swimming right
underneath the surface."
316
00:16:40,896 --> 00:16:43,517
NARRATOR: Word quickly spread
around the air waves
317
00:16:43,517 --> 00:16:46,517
that this could be
the lake monster,
318
00:16:46,517 --> 00:16:51,034
and the idea was mooted
to try to catch it.
319
00:16:51,034 --> 00:16:54,689
BIRD: Somebody with a sense of
adventure took a float plane,
320
00:16:54,689 --> 00:16:59,586
put on some probably very strong
halibut line with large hooks,
321
00:16:59,586 --> 00:17:04,965
and cinching them
to a cleat like that,
322
00:17:04,965 --> 00:17:07,344
tossed the meat
into the water.
323
00:17:07,344 --> 00:17:11,137
Well, as he lollygagged
on the floats,
324
00:17:11,137 --> 00:17:12,620
before too long,
325
00:17:12,620 --> 00:17:15,103
his plane was
being towed around.
326
00:17:17,241 --> 00:17:18,862
NARRATOR: Beneath the surface,
327
00:17:18,862 --> 00:17:21,551
some giant creature
with immense strength
328
00:17:21,551 --> 00:17:24,793
was pulling the plane
across the water.
329
00:17:24,793 --> 00:17:27,758
Eventually,
the monster broke free.
330
00:17:27,758 --> 00:17:29,620
On inspecting the damage,
331
00:17:29,620 --> 00:17:32,241
it was clear that it was
well beyond the capabilities
332
00:17:32,241 --> 00:17:36,103
of any known lake creature.
333
00:17:36,103 --> 00:17:38,103
His plane was towed around.
334
00:17:38,103 --> 00:17:39,241
He looked at the hooks.
335
00:17:39,241 --> 00:17:41,413
They had been straightened out
336
00:17:41,413 --> 00:17:45,482
and maybe others
had been bitten off.
337
00:17:45,482 --> 00:17:47,758
NARRATOR: It would take
unbelievable strength
338
00:17:47,758 --> 00:17:50,275
to straighten out
the large tuna hooks
339
00:17:50,275 --> 00:17:53,931
and bite through the thick
stainless-steel cables.
340
00:17:53,931 --> 00:17:56,551
The creature would have
to be gigantic,
341
00:17:56,551 --> 00:18:00,586
as big as a dinosaur perhaps.
342
00:18:00,586 --> 00:18:02,482
If we're talking about
a plesiosaur,
343
00:18:02,482 --> 00:18:04,137
a creature like this
would absolutely
344
00:18:04,137 --> 00:18:06,896
have no probably towing
a plane around
345
00:18:06,896 --> 00:18:08,103
on the surface of the lake.
346
00:18:08,103 --> 00:18:11,137
These creatures were huge,
up to 50 feet.
347
00:18:11,137 --> 00:18:13,620
To them, a float plane
on the surface of the lake
348
00:18:13,620 --> 00:18:16,931
would be like a toy.
349
00:18:16,931 --> 00:18:19,931
NARRATOR: If there is a giant
dinosaur-like creature
350
00:18:19,931 --> 00:18:21,344
hiding in the lake,
351
00:18:21,344 --> 00:18:24,103
then cryptozoologist
Cliff Barackman
352
00:18:24,103 --> 00:18:26,275
is determined to find it.
353
00:18:26,275 --> 00:18:28,344
He's decided to put
all his trust
354
00:18:28,344 --> 00:18:30,655
in local fisherman
Richard Walton.
355
00:18:30,655 --> 00:18:35,310
♪♪
356
00:18:35,310 --> 00:18:36,655
Thank you for letting me
on your boat
357
00:18:36,655 --> 00:18:37,931
and showing me around
a little bit.
358
00:18:37,931 --> 00:18:40,551
Is it safe to say you know
this lake pretty well?
359
00:18:40,551 --> 00:18:41,965
WALTON: We've traveled this lake
quite a bit
360
00:18:41,965 --> 00:18:43,655
over the course
of our lifetime,
361
00:18:43,655 --> 00:18:46,413
you know, because it's
kind of what you do here.
362
00:18:46,413 --> 00:18:47,896
This is
your road system.
363
00:18:47,896 --> 00:18:51,862
This is how you get around to
all the different communities.
364
00:18:51,862 --> 00:18:53,413
Like Loch Ness,
365
00:18:53,413 --> 00:18:56,000
Lake Iliamna
is exceptionally deep,
366
00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,965
and what lies beneath the
surface is largely unexplored.
367
00:18:59,965 --> 00:19:02,241
If there's anywhere
a lake monster
368
00:19:02,241 --> 00:19:06,655
can lie hidden in the depths,
it's here.
369
00:19:06,655 --> 00:19:09,482
NARRATOR: But for Cliff,
comparisons with Loch Ness
370
00:19:09,482 --> 00:19:12,448
go deeper than you might think.
371
00:19:12,448 --> 00:19:14,586
All throughout British Columbia
and Alaska,
372
00:19:14,586 --> 00:19:16,724
there are literally
hundreds of lakes
373
00:19:16,724 --> 00:19:19,103
that have reported lake monsters
living in them,
374
00:19:19,103 --> 00:19:21,724
and what I find interesting
about that is that
375
00:19:21,724 --> 00:19:25,206
the latitude is very similar
to that of Scotland,
376
00:19:25,206 --> 00:19:28,310
where the Loch Ness Monster is.
377
00:19:28,310 --> 00:19:31,275
NARRATOR: Similarities of
climate and water temperature
378
00:19:31,275 --> 00:19:35,448
may partially account for this,
and in these colder parts,
379
00:19:35,448 --> 00:19:38,000
it's easier for creatures
to remain hidden
380
00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,482
as there's more wilderness
and fewer people.
381
00:19:41,482 --> 00:19:47,241
♪♪
382
00:19:47,241 --> 00:19:50,241
But there are times when
something strange is spotted
383
00:19:50,241 --> 00:19:53,689
even in a populated area.
384
00:19:53,689 --> 00:19:57,310
In 2016, right in the middle
of the Triangle,
385
00:19:57,310 --> 00:20:02,413
what looks like a giant serpent
rose from the icy depths.
386
00:20:10,965 --> 00:20:20,241
♪♪
387
00:20:20,241 --> 00:20:22,000
NARRATOR:
In the Alaska Triangle,
388
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,241
it's not inconceivable
that strange,
389
00:20:24,241 --> 00:20:27,551
unknown creatures could be
hiding in the forests
390
00:20:27,551 --> 00:20:31,172
or lurking in its waters.
391
00:20:31,172 --> 00:20:34,620
Even large new animals
are still being discovered.
392
00:20:36,827 --> 00:20:42,103
In June 2016, this 24-foot whale
washed up in Alaska
393
00:20:42,103 --> 00:20:45,310
and was found to be
an entirely new species.
394
00:20:45,310 --> 00:20:48,413
♪♪
395
00:20:48,413 --> 00:20:51,517
Now journalist and researcher
Andrew Gough
396
00:20:51,517 --> 00:20:54,724
has pinpointed the
Alaska Triangle as being ripe
397
00:20:54,724 --> 00:20:58,896
for new discoveries
of river and lake creatures.
398
00:20:58,896 --> 00:21:00,931
It's really a perfect storm,
399
00:21:00,931 --> 00:21:05,965
a remote location
with huge bodies of water.
400
00:21:05,965 --> 00:21:09,517
It's full of species
that we have yet to identify
401
00:21:09,517 --> 00:21:11,172
or even begun to understand,
402
00:21:11,172 --> 00:21:14,448
so the natural reaction
is to call them monsters,
403
00:21:14,448 --> 00:21:15,896
and you can understand that,
404
00:21:15,896 --> 00:21:18,241
but really they're
just new species,
405
00:21:18,241 --> 00:21:23,413
and they probably have been here
even longer than we have.
406
00:21:23,413 --> 00:21:27,310
It's the ideal spot for species
to go unnoticed
407
00:21:27,310 --> 00:21:29,172
for hundreds of years.
408
00:21:31,448 --> 00:21:33,344
NARRATOR: In November 2016,
409
00:21:33,344 --> 00:21:37,517
there was a sighting
that created an online storm.
410
00:21:37,517 --> 00:21:39,034
This video appeared,
411
00:21:39,034 --> 00:21:43,000
linked to the Alaska Bureau
of Land Management.
412
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,620
Within days, it racked up
over a million views.
413
00:21:46,620 --> 00:21:53,206
♪♪
414
00:21:53,206 --> 00:21:56,827
The location -- the Chena River,
Fairbanks,
415
00:21:56,827 --> 00:22:00,827
right in the middle
of the Alaska Triangle,
416
00:22:00,827 --> 00:22:04,655
where government worker and
keen photographer Craig McCaa
417
00:22:04,655 --> 00:22:07,965
happens to be based.
418
00:22:07,965 --> 00:22:09,758
He was out on a routine job
419
00:22:09,758 --> 00:22:13,344
inspecting the river
from this bridge.
420
00:22:13,344 --> 00:22:17,448
I was walking out on the bridge
that you can see behind me there
421
00:22:17,448 --> 00:22:21,034
and taking some photos of ice
beginning to form.
422
00:22:21,034 --> 00:22:22,241
This was in late October,
423
00:22:22,241 --> 00:22:24,137
which is early winter
in Fairbanks,
424
00:22:24,137 --> 00:22:27,310
and took out my camera,
pointed it this direction,
425
00:22:27,310 --> 00:22:30,068
and my attention was caught
by movement
426
00:22:30,068 --> 00:22:32,379
in the river right beneath me.
427
00:22:32,379 --> 00:22:35,862
I looked down in the water,
and I did a total stop.
428
00:22:35,862 --> 00:22:37,482
NARRATOR:
When Craig looked down,
429
00:22:37,482 --> 00:22:39,586
he saw something extraordinary,
430
00:22:39,586 --> 00:22:44,413
so he got out his phone
and took this video.
431
00:22:44,413 --> 00:22:49,586
♪♪
432
00:22:49,586 --> 00:22:52,275
Right below him was
what looked like a giant,
433
00:22:52,275 --> 00:22:55,275
serpent-like ice monster
strong enough
434
00:22:55,275 --> 00:22:58,862
to be swimming upstream
in the fast-flowing current.
435
00:22:58,862 --> 00:23:04,931
♪♪
436
00:23:04,931 --> 00:23:06,793
So I'm looking at it now,
437
00:23:06,793 --> 00:23:08,275
right in the river,
right over there.
438
00:23:08,275 --> 00:23:10,034
It's a little strange
to see this thing
439
00:23:10,034 --> 00:23:12,862
swirling back and forth
in the river.
440
00:23:12,862 --> 00:23:14,172
It's got a rough texture.
441
00:23:14,172 --> 00:23:16,241
You can see that
it has ice on it,
442
00:23:16,241 --> 00:23:19,689
and a lot of the rest of it
is obscured by the murky water.
443
00:23:22,103 --> 00:23:24,000
NARRATOR:
Close analysis of the video
444
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,793
puts this strange creature
at about 20 feet long,
445
00:23:27,793 --> 00:23:31,310
but that's just
the visible part.
446
00:23:31,310 --> 00:23:33,827
There is no known animal
in this river
447
00:23:33,827 --> 00:23:37,896
with a size anything like that.
448
00:23:37,896 --> 00:23:40,172
It sent a shiver down my spine.
449
00:23:40,172 --> 00:23:44,000
I had never seen
anything like that.
450
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:46,068
NARRATOR:
Is this an unknown species
451
00:23:46,068 --> 00:23:48,275
or a relic from prehistory?
452
00:23:48,275 --> 00:23:55,517
♪♪
453
00:23:55,517 --> 00:23:58,034
It's certainly true that
prehistoric creatures
454
00:23:58,034 --> 00:24:02,034
do exist in these waters.
455
00:24:02,034 --> 00:24:05,448
These blood-sucking fish,
known as lampreys,
456
00:24:05,448 --> 00:24:10,620
were around 200 million years
before the dinosaurs,
457
00:24:10,620 --> 00:24:13,482
and they can still
be found in Alaska,
458
00:24:13,482 --> 00:24:17,275
even here in
the middle of Fairbanks.
459
00:24:17,275 --> 00:24:21,275
In fact, in June 2015,
bizarrely,
460
00:24:21,275 --> 00:24:25,517
they began falling on
to the streets of the city.
461
00:24:25,517 --> 00:24:29,482
Fish literally started
raining from the sky.
462
00:24:29,482 --> 00:24:31,068
How on Earth does that happen?
463
00:24:31,068 --> 00:24:33,827
♪♪
464
00:24:33,827 --> 00:24:35,655
NARRATOR: In Cardiff
in the United Kingdom,
465
00:24:35,655 --> 00:24:36,896
Dr. Rhys Jones
466
00:24:36,896 --> 00:24:39,482
is a senior lecturer
in bio sciences
467
00:24:39,482 --> 00:24:42,241
and an environmental researcher.
468
00:24:42,241 --> 00:24:45,275
When I say fish,
I mean fish like this one here.
469
00:24:45,275 --> 00:24:46,896
This is a lamprey.
470
00:24:46,896 --> 00:24:49,482
Superficially looks a little bit
like an eel,
471
00:24:49,482 --> 00:24:52,310
but actually
if I turn it around,
472
00:24:52,310 --> 00:24:54,551
have a look at the face on that.
473
00:24:54,551 --> 00:24:57,896
♪♪
474
00:24:57,896 --> 00:25:02,275
Gough: These are sharp tooth,
foot-long,
475
00:25:02,275 --> 00:25:06,310
blood-sucking eel-like fishes.
476
00:25:06,310 --> 00:25:10,275
These are vampire fishes
that attach themselves
477
00:25:10,275 --> 00:25:13,482
to other animals
and suck their blood.
478
00:25:13,482 --> 00:25:16,827
Now, they're rarely seen,
let alone caught,
479
00:25:16,827 --> 00:25:19,758
but here they are
falling from the sky
480
00:25:19,758 --> 00:25:23,172
miles from any river.
481
00:25:23,172 --> 00:25:26,068
How can that be?
482
00:25:26,068 --> 00:25:27,931
It's hard to imagine what these
483
00:25:27,931 --> 00:25:31,379
ordinary people
would have thought.
484
00:25:31,379 --> 00:25:32,758
They must have been terrified,
485
00:25:32,758 --> 00:25:37,137
mystified,
and utterly freaked out.
486
00:25:37,137 --> 00:25:39,965
NARRATOR: How the lamprey came
to be falling from the sky
487
00:25:39,965 --> 00:25:42,931
has never been established.
488
00:25:42,931 --> 00:25:45,344
But could the serpent-like
ice creature
489
00:25:45,344 --> 00:25:49,896
be a kind of giant,
prehistoric blood-sucking fish?
490
00:25:49,896 --> 00:25:54,793
McCAA: When I started filming
this object in the river,
491
00:25:54,793 --> 00:25:56,413
I didn't really know,
492
00:25:56,413 --> 00:25:59,896
and I still don't know
what it was.
493
00:25:59,896 --> 00:26:02,586
It moved like a giant fish,
I have to say that,
494
00:26:02,586 --> 00:26:04,172
the way it undulated
in the current
495
00:26:04,172 --> 00:26:06,000
and it kind of held its place.
496
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,896
♪♪
497
00:26:08,896 --> 00:26:10,655
Generally speaking,
what's in the Chena River
498
00:26:10,655 --> 00:26:14,620
is some species of freshwater
fish like Arctic grayling,
499
00:26:14,620 --> 00:26:16,586
northern pike, burbot.
500
00:26:16,586 --> 00:26:19,896
There's mammals that pass
through the river
501
00:26:19,896 --> 00:26:22,620
or beaver that live in
and around the river,
502
00:26:22,620 --> 00:26:24,068
but I can't think of anything
503
00:26:24,068 --> 00:26:25,965
that's more than 3
or 4 feet long,
504
00:26:25,965 --> 00:26:30,758
and what I saw was much,
much longer than that.
505
00:26:30,758 --> 00:26:33,689
Nature still provides these
mysteries from time to time
506
00:26:33,689 --> 00:26:35,413
that force you
to stop and think,
507
00:26:35,413 --> 00:26:38,344
"What am I looking at?
How can I explain this?"
508
00:26:38,344 --> 00:26:41,068
♪♪
509
00:26:41,068 --> 00:26:43,965
NARRATOR: Whether a strange
giant fish or not,
510
00:26:43,965 --> 00:26:47,724
could this creature be related
to the monster of Lake Iliamna?
511
00:26:47,724 --> 00:26:50,551
♪♪
512
00:26:50,551 --> 00:26:54,448
The Chena River is a tributary
to the mighty Yukon River,
513
00:26:54,448 --> 00:26:56,413
which connects many
of the waterways
514
00:26:56,413 --> 00:26:59,000
and lakes of Alaska
to the coast,
515
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:00,344
and then from there,
516
00:27:00,344 --> 00:27:04,827
it's a short journey upriver
to Lake Iliamna.
517
00:27:04,827 --> 00:27:06,689
This means that there's
a ready network
518
00:27:06,689 --> 00:27:11,482
for these creatures to disperse
throughout the Triangle,
519
00:27:11,482 --> 00:27:14,862
but is there any evidence
of more than one lake monster?
520
00:27:14,862 --> 00:27:18,655
♪♪
521
00:27:18,655 --> 00:27:21,206
Loch Ness has only ever
had sightings
522
00:27:21,206 --> 00:27:25,275
of individual monsters,
523
00:27:25,275 --> 00:27:28,586
but now one listener
to Bob Bird's radio show
524
00:27:28,586 --> 00:27:31,344
has phoned in with some
startling new evidence
525
00:27:31,344 --> 00:27:34,896
which, if true,
would mean in Lake Iliamna,
526
00:27:34,896 --> 00:27:37,344
there's more than one monster.
527
00:27:46,413 --> 00:27:54,344
♪♪
528
00:27:54,344 --> 00:27:57,275
NARRATOR:
Alaska's largest lake, Iliamna,
529
00:27:57,275 --> 00:27:59,655
is said to be
the home of a monster
530
00:27:59,655 --> 00:28:04,103
just like Loch Ness in Scotland,
and the local radio station
531
00:28:04,103 --> 00:28:06,689
has been taking calls
on the subject.
532
00:28:06,689 --> 00:28:10,379
♪♪
533
00:28:10,379 --> 00:28:15,413
ANNOUNCER: Welcome back to
"The Bird's Eye View" on KSRM.
534
00:28:15,413 --> 00:28:19,310
NARRATOR: Deejay Bob Bird has
had one call that suggests
535
00:28:19,310 --> 00:28:22,068
the Lake Iliamna creature
is not alone.
536
00:28:45,172 --> 00:28:47,862
Increasingly,
the calls to Bob's show
537
00:28:47,862 --> 00:28:50,275
aren't just about
Lake Iliamna.
538
00:28:50,275 --> 00:28:52,000
Bob's many listeners
have added
539
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,413
to the evidence of monsters
elsewhere in the region too.
540
00:28:55,413 --> 00:28:58,482
♪♪
541
00:28:58,482 --> 00:29:01,931
BIRD: There's also similar
sightings in other large lakes,
542
00:29:01,931 --> 00:29:04,827
Lake Clark,
which feeds into Lake Iliamna,
543
00:29:04,827 --> 00:29:08,379
has its own legends,
Becharof Lake,
544
00:29:08,379 --> 00:29:12,379
which is south of Iliamna,
had a very credible sighting.
545
00:29:12,379 --> 00:29:15,413
NARRATOR: Bob is now convinced
that witnesses to the monster
546
00:29:15,413 --> 00:29:17,310
are genuine.
547
00:29:17,310 --> 00:29:20,655
We're not dealing with a mirage,
a deluded individual.
548
00:29:20,655 --> 00:29:24,655
We're not dealing with
mistaken identities.
549
00:29:24,655 --> 00:29:27,448
We've got something
that needs explaining.
550
00:29:29,827 --> 00:29:32,344
NARRATOR: Bob's own
investigations have led him
551
00:29:32,344 --> 00:29:34,931
to what could be
a secret government report
552
00:29:34,931 --> 00:29:37,206
on these lake monsters.
553
00:29:37,206 --> 00:29:38,482
BIRD: As I understand it,
554
00:29:38,482 --> 00:29:40,482
the Alaska Department
of Fish and Game
555
00:29:40,482 --> 00:29:42,965
kept once a file
on the sightings
556
00:29:42,965 --> 00:29:47,000
to see what sort of consistency
there might be in the reports.
557
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:48,931
I don't know if
that file exists anymore
558
00:29:48,931 --> 00:29:50,931
because as a journalist,
two years ago,
559
00:29:50,931 --> 00:29:54,517
I asked them to find it for me,
and they didn't have it.
560
00:29:54,517 --> 00:29:58,241
I have no doubt
there was once a file.
561
00:29:58,241 --> 00:29:59,965
NARRATOR: What was in that file?
562
00:29:59,965 --> 00:30:01,413
We don't know.
563
00:30:01,413 --> 00:30:03,172
But the caller to Bob's show
564
00:30:03,172 --> 00:30:07,241
has agreed to tell
his story on camera.
565
00:30:07,241 --> 00:30:11,275
These things were awful big,
and there was a lot of them.
566
00:30:11,275 --> 00:30:13,965
NARRATOR: One clear afternoon
in the late '90s,
567
00:30:13,965 --> 00:30:16,172
local businessman Gary Nielsen
568
00:30:16,172 --> 00:30:18,931
was out on the lake
with his wife.
569
00:30:18,931 --> 00:30:24,758
My wife was looking
over the side, and she screams,
570
00:30:24,758 --> 00:30:26,931
and she's on my side
of the boat in my lap
571
00:30:26,931 --> 00:30:29,413
screaming at me to go faster,
572
00:30:29,413 --> 00:30:33,931
so I just automatically hit
the throttle fast forward,
573
00:30:33,931 --> 00:30:35,620
and as I looked back
to where she was looking,
574
00:30:35,620 --> 00:30:40,206
there was these two heads
probably about that long
575
00:30:40,206 --> 00:30:41,586
and about that wide,
576
00:30:41,586 --> 00:30:43,758
just the heads, and they
were traveling like that,
577
00:30:43,758 --> 00:30:47,827
and they were looking at us
as we were going by.
578
00:30:47,827 --> 00:30:52,793
The heads were maybe
2 feet long, maybe longer,
579
00:30:52,793 --> 00:30:59,103
16 to 18 inches wide,
triangular-shaped,
580
00:30:59,103 --> 00:31:02,000
very sleek-looking,
and the bodies were awful long,
581
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:03,448
but I couldn't tell
the body length
582
00:31:03,448 --> 00:31:05,758
because I was too busy trying
to get into the shallow water.
583
00:31:05,758 --> 00:31:08,137
These things were big.
584
00:31:08,137 --> 00:31:10,413
NARRATOR: Gary's detailed
description matches
585
00:31:10,413 --> 00:31:12,000
that of other witnesses
586
00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:16,517
and also that
of the Loch Ness Monster.
587
00:31:16,517 --> 00:31:20,896
For the scientists,
multiple monsters is a given.
588
00:31:20,896 --> 00:31:24,344
If there's one monster,
there has to be more than one.
589
00:31:24,344 --> 00:31:26,000
There has to be
a breeding population.
590
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:27,827
There can never be just one.
591
00:31:27,827 --> 00:31:30,137
When you have
a biological population,
592
00:31:30,137 --> 00:31:31,931
you've got to have
significant numbers
593
00:31:31,931 --> 00:31:35,482
for maintaining a gene pool.
594
00:31:35,482 --> 00:31:38,379
NARRATOR: There's one particular
aspect of the lake creatures
595
00:31:38,379 --> 00:31:41,034
that haunts Gary to this day.
596
00:31:41,034 --> 00:31:43,931
The eyes were so huge.
597
00:31:43,931 --> 00:31:47,758
They were just big, round,
598
00:31:47,758 --> 00:31:51,827
the best description
is dead black eyes,
599
00:31:51,827 --> 00:31:56,689
like they were made for deep
water where there's less light.
600
00:31:56,689 --> 00:32:00,413
NARRATOR: Huge eyes made for
deep water could be a clue
601
00:32:00,413 --> 00:32:05,275
to how these monsters
are connected to the Triangle.
602
00:32:05,275 --> 00:32:07,103
There's an old native belief
603
00:32:07,103 --> 00:32:09,482
that the separate waterways
and lakes
604
00:32:09,482 --> 00:32:12,000
are linked
by underground channels.
605
00:32:14,275 --> 00:32:17,103
It's a story that Robbin Lavine
has come across
606
00:32:17,103 --> 00:32:21,137
as a part of her work
with the native people.
607
00:32:21,137 --> 00:32:23,413
One of the stories I heard
when I was out there
608
00:32:23,413 --> 00:32:26,137
was that there was
a possibility,
609
00:32:26,137 --> 00:32:30,724
that the elders say that there
may be an underwater passage,
610
00:32:30,724 --> 00:32:36,896
a tunnel from Iliamna Lake
to the saltwater inlet.
611
00:32:36,896 --> 00:32:38,172
NARRATOR:
Could it really be possible
612
00:32:38,172 --> 00:32:41,931
that these links exists?
613
00:32:41,931 --> 00:32:45,793
Well, there's some firm science
that suggests they do,
614
00:32:45,793 --> 00:32:47,344
and with access to the sea
615
00:32:47,344 --> 00:32:50,137
through large
underwater passageways,
616
00:32:50,137 --> 00:32:53,689
any number of giant creatures
could be in there.
617
00:33:01,896 --> 00:33:10,793
♪♪
618
00:33:10,793 --> 00:33:13,724
NARRATOR: Evidence is building
that there are unknown creatures
619
00:33:13,724 --> 00:33:17,896
lurking in the depths
of Lake Iliamna in Alaska.
620
00:33:17,896 --> 00:33:21,551
But if it's true, how did
these creatures get here?
621
00:33:21,551 --> 00:33:25,551
♪♪
622
00:33:25,551 --> 00:33:27,758
Bruce Wright
is a former professor
623
00:33:27,758 --> 00:33:29,689
from the University of Alaska,
624
00:33:29,689 --> 00:33:33,344
and he's been researching
the bed of the lake.
625
00:33:33,344 --> 00:33:34,620
WRIGHT: It's so deep.
626
00:33:34,620 --> 00:33:38,241
It's at least 1,200 feet,
but nobody knows.
627
00:33:38,241 --> 00:33:41,310
Nobody has taken a rock
tied to a string
628
00:33:41,310 --> 00:33:44,931
and dropped it down
to the bottom.
629
00:33:44,931 --> 00:33:47,310
NARRATOR: As well as being of
unknown depth,
630
00:33:47,310 --> 00:33:52,379
the lake lies on top
of unstable bedrock.
631
00:33:52,379 --> 00:33:54,896
It's a geologically active area.
632
00:33:54,896 --> 00:33:57,620
There probably are cracks
down at the bottom of the lake.
633
00:33:57,620 --> 00:33:59,827
Kind of makes you wonder,
well, maybe there's a link
634
00:33:59,827 --> 00:34:03,793
to the ocean
through these things.
635
00:34:03,793 --> 00:34:06,241
NARRATOR: From the coast,
any number of creatures
636
00:34:06,241 --> 00:34:09,448
could navigate their way
up into Lake Iliamna.
637
00:34:09,448 --> 00:34:13,103
♪♪
638
00:34:13,103 --> 00:34:15,241
For Gary Nielsen and his wife,
639
00:34:15,241 --> 00:34:19,758
spotting two lake monsters
was just the start.
640
00:34:19,758 --> 00:34:22,827
As I was watching them,
I saw all these other wakes
641
00:34:22,827 --> 00:34:25,275
all around and up in front,
642
00:34:25,275 --> 00:34:30,034
and some of the ripples or wakes
were, like, 2 feet high.
643
00:34:30,034 --> 00:34:32,827
NARRATOR:
Multiple wakes 2 feet high.
644
00:34:32,827 --> 00:34:35,379
They could only be caused
by something massive
645
00:34:35,379 --> 00:34:37,551
moving in the water.
646
00:34:37,551 --> 00:34:38,827
NIELSEN:
We didn't bother to go out there
647
00:34:38,827 --> 00:34:40,137
and try to see
how big those big ones
648
00:34:40,137 --> 00:34:41,551
were because we were busy
trying to stay alive
649
00:34:41,551 --> 00:34:43,137
in the shallow water.
650
00:34:45,551 --> 00:34:49,827
NARRATOR:
But there's another scientific question that needs answering.
651
00:34:49,827 --> 00:34:52,448
If the lake has a large
population of giant,
652
00:34:52,448 --> 00:34:56,000
pre-historic beasts,
what are they feeding on?
653
00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,206
How are they surviving?
654
00:34:59,206 --> 00:35:03,103
The answer lies in Alaska's
abundant wildlife.
655
00:35:03,103 --> 00:35:05,793
♪♪
656
00:35:05,793 --> 00:35:09,517
WRIGHT: Alaska has a really wide
variety of marine animals
657
00:35:09,517 --> 00:35:11,310
because it's so productive
up here.
658
00:35:11,310 --> 00:35:14,310
A lot of that is driven
by the cleanliness
659
00:35:14,310 --> 00:35:16,275
of the waters off of Alaska,
660
00:35:16,275 --> 00:35:18,724
but also there's
high oxygen levels,
661
00:35:18,724 --> 00:35:21,689
so we have good
phytoplankton bloom,
662
00:35:21,689 --> 00:35:23,000
and that energy drives
663
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,448
this really rich valuable
set of organisms
664
00:35:26,448 --> 00:35:30,137
that live up here
and lots of fish.
665
00:35:30,137 --> 00:35:33,724
NARRATOR: If a large unknown
species was to exist anywhere,
666
00:35:33,724 --> 00:35:35,689
this would be the place.
667
00:35:35,689 --> 00:35:40,206
Food is plentiful,
and one fish in particular
668
00:35:40,206 --> 00:35:45,137
provides a direct link
to Loch Ness in Scotland.
669
00:35:45,137 --> 00:35:46,620
WRIGHT:
There's five million salmon
670
00:35:46,620 --> 00:35:47,931
that are entering this big lake,
671
00:35:47,931 --> 00:35:49,310
moving up into the rivers,
672
00:35:49,310 --> 00:35:53,172
or spawning
right along the shoreline,
673
00:35:53,172 --> 00:35:56,172
and the salmon really drive
the terrestrial ecosystem.
674
00:35:56,172 --> 00:36:00,000
The energy from the salmon
moves through the ecosystem
675
00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:02,586
via bears and eagles
that eat the salmon
676
00:36:02,586 --> 00:36:05,827
and move those nutrients
up into the ecosystem.
677
00:36:05,827 --> 00:36:09,896
In fact, if you go out and you
look at the stable isotopes
678
00:36:09,896 --> 00:36:12,137
of certain atoms in the trees,
679
00:36:12,137 --> 00:36:15,586
you'll find out that
they're mostly made of salmon.
680
00:36:15,586 --> 00:36:19,448
NARRATOR: Like Loch Ness,
because of the salmon,
681
00:36:19,448 --> 00:36:21,172
Lake Iliamna could sustain
682
00:36:21,172 --> 00:36:24,034
any number
of fish-eating plesiosaurs,
683
00:36:24,034 --> 00:36:26,103
and multiple monsters
would increase
684
00:36:26,103 --> 00:36:27,965
the danger out on the lake.
685
00:36:27,965 --> 00:36:31,379
♪♪
686
00:36:31,379 --> 00:36:33,896
It's a theory that Gary
now holds to
687
00:36:33,896 --> 00:36:35,758
because of his own encounter.
688
00:36:37,862 --> 00:36:40,068
And there's old stories
about that that I never,
689
00:36:40,068 --> 00:36:41,827
ever believed from way back when
690
00:36:41,827 --> 00:36:44,862
of them pulling people
out of kayaks or boats even.
691
00:36:44,862 --> 00:36:46,827
I never believed them
until that moment.
692
00:36:46,827 --> 00:36:50,655
♪♪
693
00:36:50,655 --> 00:36:53,931
NARRATOR: Out on the lake,
cryptozoologist Cliff Barackman
694
00:36:53,931 --> 00:36:55,517
is determined to investigate
695
00:36:55,517 --> 00:36:59,379
what's going on
beneath the surface.
696
00:36:59,379 --> 00:37:01,931
If there was
just one lake creature,
697
00:37:01,931 --> 00:37:07,137
it could be anywhere,
but multiple creatures
698
00:37:07,137 --> 00:37:11,172
would significantly increase
his chance of seeing something,
699
00:37:11,172 --> 00:37:12,620
and the boat's sonar
700
00:37:12,620 --> 00:37:16,689
can detect anything
big moving beneath them.
701
00:37:16,689 --> 00:37:19,517
A lot of fisherman rely on tools
like this, you know,
702
00:37:19,517 --> 00:37:22,000
for their livelihood, you know,
to find big schools of fish,
703
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,172
for the same nets
and all that stuff,
704
00:37:24,172 --> 00:37:26,310
but this would also be
a very effective tool
705
00:37:26,310 --> 00:37:29,275
to see any large animal
under the surface too.
706
00:37:29,275 --> 00:37:30,724
Not just smaller fish,
but, like,
707
00:37:30,724 --> 00:37:34,172
something large like
one of these lake creatures.
708
00:37:34,172 --> 00:37:38,137
♪♪
709
00:37:38,137 --> 00:37:41,689
With the sonar deployed,
the hunt is on.
710
00:37:50,172 --> 00:37:59,310
♪♪
711
00:37:59,310 --> 00:38:01,931
NARRATOR: Over recent years,
new video footage
712
00:38:01,931 --> 00:38:04,482
has come to light
of strange creatures
713
00:38:04,482 --> 00:38:06,827
in the waters
of the Alaska Triangle.
714
00:38:06,827 --> 00:38:12,655
♪♪
715
00:38:12,655 --> 00:38:14,827
Out on the biggest lake
in Alaska,
716
00:38:14,827 --> 00:38:18,482
cryptozoologist Cliff Barackman
and fisherman Richard
717
00:38:18,482 --> 00:38:24,206
are using sonar to try to find
one of these elusive beasts.
718
00:38:24,206 --> 00:38:27,344
Mysterious shapes
pass by beneath them,
719
00:38:27,344 --> 00:38:31,379
but it's impossible
to identify what they are.
720
00:38:31,379 --> 00:38:37,068
Is this a plesiosaur, head up,
swimming deep beneath them?
721
00:38:37,068 --> 00:38:39,482
WALTON: It's something,
moving across the screen.
722
00:38:39,482 --> 00:38:42,206
BARACKMAN: That's a big one,
whatever it is.
723
00:38:42,206 --> 00:38:46,310
The best image Cliff has is
the video taken by Nathan Hill,
724
00:38:46,310 --> 00:38:48,793
the local borough manager.
725
00:38:48,793 --> 00:38:52,000
It's this video we're keen
to have analyzed,
726
00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,896
and we're showing it
to Dr. Alley.
727
00:38:54,896 --> 00:38:57,793
I'm looking here at a video
of Lake Iliamna,
728
00:38:57,793 --> 00:39:02,206
and we can actually see
three objects above the water
729
00:39:02,206 --> 00:39:05,482
that appear to be curved
730
00:39:05,482 --> 00:39:08,413
and not linear like
a wave would be,
731
00:39:08,413 --> 00:39:11,827
so it's suggestive
of a biological creature.
732
00:39:11,827 --> 00:39:15,793
And in fact, if you had to
compare it with something,
733
00:39:15,793 --> 00:39:17,689
with any one thing,
you would want to compare it
734
00:39:17,689 --> 00:39:21,379
with those three-humped
little statuesques
735
00:39:21,379 --> 00:39:24,379
that you see in the gift shops
at Loch Ness showing head,
736
00:39:24,379 --> 00:39:27,448
middle, lump, one, two, three,
737
00:39:27,448 --> 00:39:29,758
and you know you
don't have schools of porpoise
738
00:39:29,758 --> 00:39:31,482
jumping in Lake Iliamna,
739
00:39:31,482 --> 00:39:34,206
and it's doubtful that three
sturgeon are going to arise.
740
00:39:34,206 --> 00:39:37,241
What this suggests is something
that is swimming in the manner
741
00:39:37,241 --> 00:39:41,344
not of a reptile or a fish
with a lateral undulation
742
00:39:41,344 --> 00:39:44,137
or amphibian,
but rather a mammal.
743
00:39:44,137 --> 00:39:47,586
This is a tremendously
exciting thing to watch,
744
00:39:47,586 --> 00:39:51,931
possibly unidentified species
or fossil mammals
745
00:39:51,931 --> 00:39:56,206
that we think are extinct
may actually still be living,
746
00:39:56,206 --> 00:39:57,862
trapped in fresh water.
747
00:39:57,862 --> 00:40:00,103
It would suggest just as
equally a plesiosaur.
748
00:40:00,103 --> 00:40:02,068
So there are those
who say it's a mammal.
749
00:40:02,068 --> 00:40:04,655
There are those who say no,
it's got to be a reptile.
750
00:40:04,655 --> 00:40:06,275
We know it's got to be
something.
751
00:40:06,275 --> 00:40:09,172
Something is in there,
but what it is?
752
00:40:09,172 --> 00:40:12,310
♪♪
753
00:40:12,310 --> 00:40:13,551
NARRATOR: Out on the lake,
754
00:40:13,551 --> 00:40:17,517
Cliff and Richard
find no conclusive evidence.
755
00:40:17,517 --> 00:40:20,310
Considering the size of the task
at hand,
756
00:40:20,310 --> 00:40:23,482
this is no great surprise.
757
00:40:23,482 --> 00:40:25,068
According to scientists,
758
00:40:25,068 --> 00:40:27,862
even with a large number
of lake monsters,
759
00:40:27,862 --> 00:40:31,896
sightings could still remain
very rare.
760
00:40:31,896 --> 00:40:35,241
If you have salty water
at the bottom of the lake
761
00:40:35,241 --> 00:40:40,551
that is oxygenated
by some geological phenomena,
762
00:40:40,551 --> 00:40:43,413
you could have some
really unusual animals
763
00:40:43,413 --> 00:40:47,137
living down there that could
stay down there, be inactive,
764
00:40:47,137 --> 00:40:49,344
and then when
the salmon show up,
765
00:40:49,344 --> 00:40:51,827
go eat your 5,000 pounds
of salmon
766
00:40:51,827 --> 00:40:53,655
and then just
go back down there.
767
00:40:53,655 --> 00:40:56,068
NARRATOR: For those who have
seen the monster,
768
00:40:56,068 --> 00:41:00,206
an unknown species
certainly fits the bill.
769
00:41:00,206 --> 00:41:05,172
It's easy to dismiss what we
call myths, what we call legends
770
00:41:05,172 --> 00:41:08,413
until you've actually witnessed
it yourself,
771
00:41:08,413 --> 00:41:12,137
and then you realize that what
people might refer to as a myth,
772
00:41:12,137 --> 00:41:14,275
what people might
refer to as a legend
773
00:41:14,275 --> 00:41:16,379
is actually local knowledge.
774
00:41:16,379 --> 00:41:20,689
♪♪
775
00:41:20,689 --> 00:41:25,827
What I saw was perhaps its own
unique type of species
776
00:41:25,827 --> 00:41:27,758
as yet undiscovered.
777
00:41:27,758 --> 00:41:30,793
♪♪
778
00:41:30,793 --> 00:41:32,379
WRIGHT:
At first, I wasn't convinced.
779
00:41:32,379 --> 00:41:34,172
I'm a pretty skeptical
scientist.
780
00:41:34,172 --> 00:41:39,000
I like to hold in my hand
what we're talking about.
781
00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,000
But it's hard to talk
to anybody out there
782
00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:45,413
that hasn't interacted
with this animal or seen it.
783
00:41:45,413 --> 00:41:46,862
To talk to all these people,
784
00:41:46,862 --> 00:41:49,379
and it's just convincing
there's something out there.
785
00:41:49,379 --> 00:41:52,655
♪♪
786
00:41:52,655 --> 00:41:55,655
LAVINE: We have so many
more questions to answer,
787
00:41:55,655 --> 00:41:58,586
and that's
the wonder of Alaska.
788
00:42:00,724 --> 00:42:01,931
NIELSEN: Be aware.
789
00:42:01,931 --> 00:42:03,827
A lot of things
can kill you out here
790
00:42:03,827 --> 00:42:05,241
without even trying.
791
00:42:05,241 --> 00:42:11,862
♪♪
61982
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