Lake Monsters In the Basin of the former Champlain Sea.

By David Scott CFZ Canada

I Grew up in the Ottawa Valley on the shores of the Ottawa river where the Madawaska river joins it. I remember tales of a Monster in the in Otter Lake at Cobden Ont. called Hexapolar, better know now as Mussie.. This was what I thought at the time just a local legend much like Big Joe Muffaraw the legendary lumberjack Stories told by local story teller Bernie Badore.

It was while researching a new series of Children's book to include the Chats lake monster, similar to Mussie of muskrat lake.

The Chats Lake Serphant was actually captured in 1882 by men from my home town of Arnprior, off our very shores. Upon looking into this story to expand it for this blog that I looked up to Muskrat Lake and the Muskrat River which actually also fed off the Ottawa river. The further I looked in the Ottawa river basin, the more of these mysterious Lake Serphant were found, what they all have in common is the ancient Champlain Sea. I think you see where I am going now.

Almost every major river and lake attached seem to show a large Serphant like creature varying to 12-14 feet This area also encompasses Current day Lake Champlain and the legendary Champ. One is Elvis in Dows Lake part of the Rideau Canal, a skater in 2021 reported seeing this large aquatic animal swimming beneath the ice and trying to break through. And the canal was mysteriously closed the next day.. In in 2015 Two environmental Studies students captured photos of an American eel. 10-15 meters in length in Dows Lake. That’s 33-45 feet.. Most of these lakes and rivers are now landlocked with the exception of the St. Lawrence seaway and the 5 great lakes. ALL of which have sightings of large serpentine creatures. The Reported sizes are far beyond the norm for American eels.

The Reason I bring up American eels is while they usually bred and die in the Sargasso sea on the Atlantic Ocean, some Hydro dams have made it almost impossible for the dwindling population of Ottawa River eels to return to their breeding grounds, hence a constant growth would explain exceptional sizes being seen and dubbed river Serphant (I assure you if I saw 30 ft. eel I too would call it a monster).But if you consider they have no natural predators and an unlimited food supply the occasional gigantic specimen is not unfeasible. This could explain almost every Lake Monster around the world, including the fabled Loch ness Monster and Champ of Lake Champlain part of the former Champlain Sea. Could this be just eels who are exceptionally old and continued to grow instead of going off to breed and die a massive decline in American eel populations in the last 50 years (up to 90%) also opens up a endless supply of prey. Ottawa Riverkeepers is a organization trying to save the dwindling stock of the once most populous fish species on the Ottawa River.

American, European eels all migrate to the Sargasso sea to breed, with cross bred known as Islandic eels are a cross of European female and American males breeding,

Due to restrictions to go to their regular breeding grounds, or a unknown type of cold water eel or a yet yet classified Animal, it does seem Lake Serphant of some sort ply the waters and lakes of the world.. I found this study extremely interesting and I do not consider myself a Water Cyprid explorer. A quick search of Canadian Sea Serphant, Lake monsters, or almost any similar search will bring you up a literal rabbit hole you may be sorry you opened if you have to work or go to school the next morning. Underwater seas, lakes and rivers also give access to explain a similar if not the same creature being spotted. If you have a story please leave it in the comments below. I would be happy to hear them and perhaps we can explain this enigma haunting the waters I learned to swim in.. Yikes.

drawing Credit Brennan ohagan