Does the Bay area have its own Loch Ness Monster?

Sunday, November 15, 2009

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Russ Sittloh has some video footage, but he is looking for a better shot that will prove the animal exists.

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- A Bay area resident says there's something unusual living in the canal behind his home and he has video he hopes will prove it.

From the deck behind Russ Sittloh's home there's a beautiful waterfront view. But lurking beneath the water is what he believes to be Madeira Beach's version of the Loch Ness Monster.

"He was chasing fish," Sittloh said. "He did two rolls and then a jump like he was chomping on fish, and then he disappeared."

Sittloh calls the creature Normandy Nessie after the road he lives on. He describes it as a giant snake or snakes and says one was at least 14 inches in diameter.

"The tail was like a spade-shaped caudal fin and vertical, never saw that on a snake before so I don't know if it was a mutation or what," he said.

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The first sighting of the snake in the canal was in April, then again in September. But this month the number of sightings have really picked up.

Sittloh admits some people won't believe him.

"I've got to have proof because people gonna think I'm nuts," he said.

That's why this month he splurged on a $370 surveillance camera. Eight hours a day he records the canal and later sifts through the video.

So far he's caught Normandy Nessie on tape several times, but some people he's showed it to have expressed some doubts.

"Anybody that really looks at that knows it is not a manatee," Sittloh said. "It is not a manatee. It is a big, big snake or snakes."

However, he's still waiting to get that perfect shot.

Sittloh says he really just wants people to be aware of the creature in case it could be dangerous.

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Normandy Nessie

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