Nessletter - No 059 - 1983

Magazine Overview

Title: NESS INFORMATION SERVICE
Issue: No 59
Date: August 1983
Publisher: Not specified
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
ISSN: 0264-7001
Price: UK £2.50, North America $9.00

This issue of the Ness Information Service (NIS) details the author's annual holidays at Loch Ness in August 1983, alongside updates on various research projects investigating the loch's mysteries. The author notes the unusually low water level and the presence of sand, a rarity in the area, possibly washed from the marina at the Clansman Hotel.

Author's Holiday Observations

The author spent twelve days at Loch Ness, experiencing mostly good weather. While enjoying time in a canoe for photography and observation, the author encountered common wildlife such as a sloworm, a common lizard, grebes, ducks, and mergansers, but did not see any large, unexplainable creatures. The author also met several NIS members and visited two expeditions working on the loch.

Research Projects and Expeditions

British Loch Ness Project

The Loch Ness and Morar Project has been renamed the British Loch Ness Project to differentiate it from American expeditions. Their operations base is split between a main camp at Strone Point above Castle Urquhart and a shore installation. They are continuing biological studies and sonar patrols of the loch's deep basins, which yielded unusual sonar contacts the previous year. The author visited the Strone site and met members like Ricky Gardiner and Ivor Newby, but Adrian Shine was unavailable.

ISCAN Project

The ISCAN Project, run by Americans Rikki Razdan and Alan Kielar of Iscan Incorporated, Rochester, New York, is also active. They are skeptical about large animals in the loch and question the interpretation of sonar signals and the reliability of photographs. Their equipment, weighing 15 tonnes, includes 144 sonar transducers and 9 biopsy-sampling devices in a 6,400 square foot grid. These biopsy darts, adapted from spear-guns, are designed to obtain tissue samples. The sonar has a narrow beam, and the array floats on the surface. The system can be monitored from shore, and the sonar produces a picture on a television screen, with squares colored according to depth. Fish were observed moving under the array, but smaller fish did not always trigger the system. The author calculated that the ISCAN Project is monitoring only a tiny fraction of Loch Ness's volume, expressing doubt about the project's ultimate success despite the expense and effort.

Academy of Applied Science

The Academy of Applied Science continues its work, focusing on developing small sonar-triggered camera units. These units have performed well in laboratory tests and in American lakes but have encountered problems with over-sensitivity in Loch Ness. The Academy has also conducted underwater elapsed time experiments using movie cameras linked to strobe lights and equipped local residents with cameras for possible surface sightings.

Roger Parker and Partech

Roger Parker, from St. Austell, Cornwall, runs the firm 'Partech', specializing in environmental and marine instrumentation. He has been using his boats and equipment for sonar programs at Loch Ness for many seasons, obtaining results that are not yet considered conclusive.

Eric Beckjord's Video Expedition

Eric Beckjord, an American wildlife photographer, conducted an expedition using video equipment, including 400mm telephoto lenses adapted for stop-frame recording. He claimed to have video of three creatures, which was publicized by the media. However, the author, who was present during Beckjord's stay, was unable to meet him and heard reports of his 'pushy' manner. The author viewed the television presentation of the footage and, based on Ivor Newby's account, found it to be very poor, with little discernible detail. The author suggests that the footage, taken from St. Ninians (350 yards from the shore and 250 feet above water level) of an object some 200 yards out in the loch with a 400mm lens, was likely of ducks and not Nessie.

Specific Sightings and Encounters

Alistair Boyd's Sighting

On Friday, August 5th, Alistair Boyd reported seeing a small dark shape appear and disappear three times in quick succession, about 150 yards from the shore, moving from left to right. This was followed by a powerful swirl in the water and a large, low hump estimated to be about 20 feet long. Alastair's experience left him with an obsession to be instantly ready to use his camera, regretting missing the chance for a photograph.

Author's Interaction with Beckjord's Claim

When Eric Beckjord announced his video claims, Alistair Boyd was contacted for comment. Boyd stated he had seen nothing unusual and had been talking to a man in a white van when the video was taken. The author confirms that his own white Dormobile was the vehicle in question and that no Nessie was visible during their conversation.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue reflects a continued dedication to investigating the Loch Ness mystery through various scientific and observational methods. The author, while acknowledging the efforts of researchers, maintains a degree of skepticism, particularly regarding the vastness of the loch and the limitations of current technology in definitively proving the existence of a large unknown animal. The article highlights the challenges faced by researchers, including funding, volunteer numbers, and the difficulty of obtaining conclusive evidence. The editorial stance appears to be one of cautious optimism, encouraging continued research while tempering expectations with realistic assessments of the scale of the task.

Contact Information

Readers are encouraged to send news and views to R.R. Hepple at Huntshieldford, St. Johns Chapel, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham, DL13 1RQ. Subscriptions are £2.50 for the UK and $9.00 for North America.