![]() Photograph of Igopogo, taken by an observer in 1976. | |
Sub grouping | Lake monster |
---|---|
Other name(s) | Kempenfelt Kelly, Beaverton Bessie, Simcoe Kelly [1] |
Country | Canada |
Region | Lake Simcoe, Ontario |
Details | Found in water |
In Canadian folklore, the Igopogo is a mythical creature said to dwell in Lake Simcoe, Ontario. [1] The creature's name is ostensibly based on the Ogopogo, of Lake Okanagan, British Columbia, and also the title of the 1952 book I Go Pogo , a slogan often mentioned in the comic. [2] Other nicknames for the Igopogo include Beaverton Bessie, after Beaverton, Ontario, and "Kempenfelt Kelly" after the bay that extends from the lake into the city of Barrie, Ontario. [3] The city of Barrie erected The Sea Serpent sculpture, representing the legendary Igopogo, at the waterfront. [4]
E. J. Delaney, described it as a creature with two long antennae, four octopus-like arms, three pairs of legs, and six gill-like appendages with feathers. [1]
Some writers have speculated based on this appearance that the sightings were actually of pinnipeds, such as otters or seals. [1] [3]
David Soules, an early settler, is credited with the first alleged Igopogo sighting in 1823. While tending sheep, Soules reportedly saw a long creature leaving a wake in the water and a trail in the mud. Another major sighting took place in 1952 by four witnesses including Wellington Charles, chief of the Georgina Island First Nation. [1] In 1983, sonar operator William W. Skrypetz reported spotting a large animal with a long neck, [1] although some have disputed this account, claiming the reading could have instead been a school of fish. [3]
Other alleged sightings include reports in 1903 and 1906, and a 1991 video recording of "a large, seal-like animal." [3] In 2016 John Kirk of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club claimed on The Shirley Show to have a tape of the creature, though he did not show it. [2]