In Scotland’s Loch Ness, researchers from the Loch Ness Exploration group lowered a hydrophone into the depths, where it picked up strange sounds resembling a heartbeat.
If these sounds were produced by a living creature, it would be far larger than any local fish or animal.
The sounds were recorded at a depth of 100 feet (about 30 meters), and their origin remains unknown.
“At first, we thought the hydrophone might just be dragging along the bottom, but the boat’s skipper told us the cable was about 5 meters above the lakebed. The recording clearly captures a rhythmic pulse, like a heartbeat. We have no idea what caused this sound, but it’s very intriguing,” said Alan McKenna.
Alan, along with his skipper Ali Matheson, regularly ventures out onto the lake, spending many hours in search of signs of Nessie—the legendary creature said to inhabit the depths of Loch Ness.
According to numerous eyewitnesses, Nessie has a long neck with a small head, four powerful flippers, and a rounded body with a thick tail. This description closely resembles ancient aquatic reptiles like the plesiosaur.
The Loch Ness Exploration team conducted the hydrophone experiment on August 10, 2024, in Urquhart Bay, the same location where a famous underwater photograph of a flipper-like object was taken in 1972.
“At around 10:41 a.m., we began picking up the strange sound. It was the first time we’ve heard a pulse or heartbeat so clearly. I’m not suggesting it’s a heartbeat; I’m simply pointing out that it sounded like one,” McKenna explained.
“It was a truly strange sound, which is why our research is so fascinating. We still can’t definitively identify the sounds, and that’s all part of the mystery. Sometimes it’s frustrating, but it always leaves us wanting more.
When it comes to exploring the depths of Loch Ness, our capabilities are limited by its incredible depth and darkness. It’s a mysterious place with unpredictable dangers and the legend of a large, unknown creature that might be lurking beneath the water.
Although we rely on sonar and surface observations, visibility in Loch Ness is extremely poor, making these methods difficult to use. So, sound is the next best option.
A hydrophone is essentially an underwater microphone capable of detecting sounds at depths of hundreds of feet below the surface. Its sensitivity allows it to pick up sounds from miles away, including the faint hum of a boat crossing the lake.”
