The Loch Alexander Monster 2.0 caught as popular swimming area reopens
Popular swimming area Lake Alexander reopened to the public last week, but was the monster captured?
Northern Territory
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POPULAR swimming area Lake Alexander has reopened to the public, after two weeks, following monster discoveries.
The mystery has been solved with not one but four intruders found in the lake after two weeks of closure.
Originally the mystery beast was assumed to be a 1m shark, but instead it turned out to be two milkfish, both larger than 1m, and two barramundi, longer than 65cm.
Milkfish have vertical fins which mean they can be easily mistaken for sharks.
NT Fisheries dragged the lake on Wednesday night discovering the culprits.
The lake reopened as of 11am on Thursday.
“So, the mystery is now solved and the lake will open soon after we ensure no other big fish are there,” Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said.
Vision emerges of Loch Alexander monster 2.0
VISION has emerged of the alleged Loch Alexander Monster 2.0, which continues to make a favourite swimming area unavailable to the public.
The video taken at Lake Alexander shows a mostly calm surface disturbed by two long ripples believed to be the result of the mystery beast.
Lake Alexander has been closed since April 8 after what was first thought to be a 1m shark was spotted and reported to Darwin City Council.
The unidentified intruder is thought to have been put into the lake by a person with fish otherwise unable to pass through the lake’s pumping system.
As of midday on Tuesday the lake remains closed with a council spokesperson stating “the lake is still closed and will remain closed until we reach a conclusion.”
Lake Alexander closed
THERE was not a soul in sight at Lake Alexander, where the hunt continues for a mysterious creature that has forced the closure of the popular swimming area for a week now.
The ongoing search for the mystery beast began after the unconfirmed sighting of what was thought to be a 1m shark was reported to Darwin council last week.
The critter has been dubbed the “Loch Alexander Monster 2.0”, harking back a decade to when the Top End was gripped by a buzz of excitement when an unidentified creature bit a woman in the lake in 2009. And similar to the events of August 2009, the being inhabiting the lake has thrown the chattering class into chaos.
The Darwin Triathlon Club had to cancel the swimming leg of its Super Sprint event last weekend.
Council continued to try to catch the beastie on Thursday, as the Top End approached the Easter long weekend.
Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said 20 bait floatlines had been set in the lake in response to the sighting.
He said while nothing had been caught yet, one of the lines snapped on Wednesday.
“These are heavy duty lines. So, whatever … it is, it seems like it’s pretty big and it’s pretty hungry,” Mr Vatskalis said.
“I was down there (Thursday) morning and while we still haven’t come up with anything yet, we can’t take any risks, so we are going to have to keep the lake closed until we have a resolution.”
Mr Vatskalis said it was impossible for a fish of any species to pass through the lake’s pumping system.
“If there’s anything in there it has been put there by a person,” he said. “Our team is currently doing everything they can to try and come up with an answer to this mystery.
“In the meantime, swimmers can’t use the lake because of the actions of someone who clearly isn’t thinking right.”
The memory of the original Loch Alexander Monster is still fresh in the minds of many. On August 18, 2009 the NT News reported the lake would close after something attacked a bather.
Council workers rushed to capture the creature, believed to be a delinquent cod, which nibbled on a woman’s foot the month before. “It had her toes and the front of her foot in its mouth – so it was a big fish,” then council chief executive Brendan Dowd said.
“The lady looked down, (got a) shock and jumped.
“She had minor lacerations, scratches and a bit of bruising.”
Council used longlines and nets to lure the cod.
The next day, the NT News revealed a man, who did not want to be named, had caught a 25kg cod in Lake Alexander 18 months before.
The Loch Alexander Monster (2009 version) remains a mystery to this day.
A harrowing history
The memory of the original Loch Alexander Monster is still fresh for many.
On August 18, 2009 the NT News reported the lake would be temporarily closed after a monster fish attacked a bather.
Council workers rushes to capture the animal, believed to be a delinquent cod, which nibbled on a woman’s foot the month before.
“It had her toes and the front of her foot in its mouth — so it was a big fish,” then council chief executive Brendan Dowd said.
“The lady looked down, (got a) shock and jumped.
“She had minor lacerations, scratches and a bit of bruising.” Council used longlines and nets to lure the cod.
The next day, the NT News revealed a man, who did not want to be named, had caught a 25kg cod in Lake Alexander 18 months before.
“This big thing came up and I tried to catch it with my hands — he took off,” the man said at the time.
“I went down to the next day with a hotdog bun, a loaf of bred … and a 100-pound hand line.
“I got burn fingers from it … He went from one side of the beach to the other.
“He was beautiful eating, hey.”
The Loch Alexander Monster remains a mystery today
The Loch Ness Monster
One of the world’s most enduring mysteries is Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster. The creature is said to inhabit the Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands.
It’s described as large, long-necked and with one or more humps protruding from the water.
It has astounded people worldwide, with many attempting to prove the existence of the elusive creature.
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Originally published as The Loch Alexander Monster 2.0 caught as popular swimming area reopens
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