"Hundreds of monster hunters equipped with drones and infrared cameras have converged on the Scottish Highlands with a singular goal," he says the Washington Post: "let's be the ones to finally find his monster hole Ness".
But it won't be easy. On Saturday, rain fell and skies were gray, hampering visibility in the search for the folkloric creature, affectionately dubbed Nessie.
The mythical monster, which legend says lives in a freshwater lake in Scotland, has eluded capture or any definitive proof of existence since its first recorded sighting in the 6th century.
The quest to find Nessie is an age-old tradition, and the volunteer hunters who showed up Saturday are dedicated — and better equipped than anyone who's come before. The hunt for the monster, organized over two days by the local Loch Ness Center in Inverness, is the biggest for half a century and is sure to feature much more high-tech. Some people drove hours to attend, while others flew in from overseas…
The Loch Ness Center launched the event — which it called “The Quest” — in partnership with Loch Ness Exploration, a research group that studies the loch and other unexplained things. He appealed to volunteer hunters "fascinated by the legendary tales of Nessie".
The center was later forced to close online registration for volunteers “due to a huge increase in demand,” according to the website…
Some drone hunters are outfitting them with infrared cameras to look for heat spots in the lake, while others are sending out underwater drones armed with hydrophones – though no one knows what a monster would sound like.
The BBC notes that “nearly 300 have registered to watch a live stream from the survey, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday".
NPR has post some audio clips of past witnesses who reported seeing the monster — and some of the recent monster hunters.
The Washington Post sums up the whole story with a two-word quote from a woman who had traveled from France for a Loch Ness vacation.
"Believe."
