Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience and subculture that searches for and studies unknown, legendary, or extinct animals whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated, particularly those popular in folklore, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, Yeti, the chupacabra, the Jersey Devil, or the Mokele-mbembe. Cryptozoologists refer to these entities as cryptids, a term coined by the subculture. Because it does not follow the scientific method, cryptozoology is considered a pseudoscience by mainstream science: it is neither a branch of zoology nor of folklore studies. It was originally founded in the 1950s by zoologists Bernard Heuvelmans and Ivan T. Sanderson.
The Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie, is a mythical creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or more humps protruding from the water. Popular interest and belief in the creature has varied since it was brought to worldwide attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with a number of disputed photographs and sonar readings.
A lake monster is a lake-dwelling entity in folklore. The most famous example is the Loch Ness Monster. Depictions of lake monsters are often similar to those of sea monsters.
In Canadian folklore, the Ogopogo is a lake monster said to inhabit Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada. Some scholars have charted the entity's development from First Nations folklore and widespread water monster folklore motifs. The Ogopogo now plays a role in the commercial symbolism and media representation of the region.
In Armenian folklore, the Lake Van Monster is a lake monster said to live in Lake Van in eastern Turkey.
In Canadian folklore, the Manipogo is a lake monster said to live in Lake Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada. The creature was dubbed Manipogo in 1960, the name echoing British Columbia's Ogopogo. It is the namesake of the Manipogo Provincial Park.
In Canadian folklore, Mussie is a creature said to live in Muskrat Lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is variously described, for example, as a walrus or as a three-eyed Loch Ness Monster-like creature.The legend of Mussie likely began around 1916, though legend claims that Canadian pioneer Samuel de Champlain wrote about it in the early seventeenth century. Mussie has become a part of the local culture and a fixture in the local tourism industry.
The Loch Ness Monster is a creature from folklore that has appeared in popular culture in various genres since at least 1934. It is most often depicted as a relict dinosaur or similar, but other explanations for its existence such as being a shapeshifter or from outer space also appear. It is only occasionally portrayed as threatening, despite its name.
Water Babies are spirits featured in the folklore of several Western Native American tribes, particularly among the Great Basin Indians. These entities are believed to inhabit bodies of water such as springs, ponds, and streams, often appearing as infants whose cries are considered an omen of impending disaster. In some traditions, they are described as small creatures who lure people to their deaths and are said to eat children.
In Canadian folklore, the Turtle Lake Monster is an entity purportedly inhabiting Turtle Lake, in West Central Saskatchewan, Canada. The monster is usually described as a creature 3–9 metres long, scaly or smooth, with no dorsal fin and a head resembling a dog, a seahorse, or a pig. Natives are said to be nervous about the attention the Monster might bring and say its simply a massive Sturgeon that left his home and lives in Turtle Lake. About once a year someone claims to have had an encounter with the beast.
A water horse is a mythical creature, such as the Ceffyl Dŵr, Capaill Uisce, the bäckahäst, each-uisge, and kelpie.
In Canadian folklore, Cressie is the nickname given to an eel-like lake monster said to reside in Crescent Lake, Robert's Arm, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The name is a portmanteau of Crescent Lake and Nessie, the nickname given to the Loch Ness Monster. The monster has been described as resembling a large dark brown eel around 15 feet in length with a long, sleek body and as "looking long and shiny, and having a fish-like head." Claims of Cressie being sighted began in the 1950s, and continue to the present day.
The Flathead Lake Monster is a mythical lake monster within Montana folklore that is purported to dwell in Flathead Lake in northwestern Montana, United States.
Labynkyr Lake is a lake in Oymyakonsky Ulus, Sakha Republic, Russia. The lake is part of the Indigirka basin and is located near the borders of Khabarovsk Krai and Magadan Oblast. The surface area of the lake is 44.7 km2 (17.3 sq mi) and is 1020 meters above mean sea level. Its average depth is 52 m (171 ft). The highest summer temperature on ending of July can +35, the coldest winter temperature can fall -65 and colder, the most often it below colder -60 since December ended four February started, amplitude during a year several years can turn up 100 C and higher.
The Mugwump is a lake monster which has been alleged to live in Lake Timiskaming, on the border of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters are an American minor league professional ice hockey team based in the Lake Tahoe area. The team made its debut in the ECHL in the 2024–25 season, playing their home games at Tahoe Blue Event Center in Stateline, Nevada.
A cryptid town is a colloquial term given to a town which has a close cultural identity with a local cryptid, often with the goal of encouraging cryptid-related tourism. Cryptid towns may have festivals, museums, statues and research organisations dedicated to a given cryptid. Areas called cryptid towns tend to be rural and remote, which correlates with the types of areas cryptids are said to often originate from, which in turn can make them appear economically deprived and reliant on the economy of cryptid tourism. Some places may not necessarily be best known for their folklore or rely on it for tourism, but do still feature it prominently in events and local culture.
The Pend Oreille Paddler is a cryptid which inhabits Lake Pend Oreille in North Idaho. Many doubt its existence, stating the Paddler sightings could be passed off as a naval submarine on a practice dive, a sturgeon of behemoth size, waterlogged trees, or even stolen boats and off-the-rails railroad cars.
The Ong is a mythical creature from Washoe folklore, described as a giant bird with an eagle-like body, a warrior's face, and wings longer than the tallest pine trees. The Ong was believed to inhabit the waters of Lake Tahoe, preying on those who wandered too close. According to legend, it carried its victims to its nest at the bottom of the lake, where they were never seen again. The story of the Ong also explains the naming of Lake Tahoe and the bravery of a young warrior who ultimately defeated the creature.
