I heard about this not too long agom it was actually an artcile on CNN in 2001, so it got international exposure. It turns out Jacque Cousteau was supposed to go to the lake to examine it or observe it. Never heard anything else about what he found, but the fact that he would go is prett impressive...

This is what I believe it is.

From the way it's moving through the water, the tentacles are trailing to the right as the creature swims towards the left. The tentacles are clearly seen in the first few frames.

[Edited on 12-22-2003 by darklanser]

cool video and site well done any more links would be cool.

Darklanser, that is VERY interesting and compelling theory there. I had never thought of that.

However, I'm unfamiliar with the Lake Van geography and climate. Giant Squid need salt water of course, and also live in VERY deep waters of th ocean.
Does lake van connect to the ocean? If so I suppose it would be possible for something like that to swim in. And most importantly, is Lake van a salt water body?

Originally posted by SevenZeroOne
Darklanser, that is VERY interesting and compelling theory there. I had never thought of that.

However, I'm unfamiliar with the Lake Van geography and climate. Giant Squid need salt water of course, and also live in VERY deep waters of th ocean.
Does lake van connect to the ocean? If so I suppose it would be possible for something like that to swim in. And most importantly, is Lake van a salt water body?

You know, I never even thought about that. I was concentrating on the creature...not it's environment. What a great catch 701. I'll do some more research on the type of lake. Thanks.

Yeah its proably a giant squid, but if its that close to the surface it probably dead or dying.

Ok. More on Lake Van, Turkey:

Situated at 1719 meters above sea level it receives a few short streams but has no outlet. That is why its waters are unusually rich in sodium carbonate and other salts extracted by evaporation and used as detergents. Swimming in these brackish, "soda" waters, where the only surviving fish is the herring, may result as an original experience, indeed.
Due to the annual inflow, higher than evaporation, the lake level continues to rise: several peninsulas have become islands during the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 1986-1995 time period a dramatic 2.16 m rise in water level occurred.
There is little left from the original dense wood along its shores. The only remains of ancient woods are in a very small region on the southwestern shore. The intensive pasture of huge Kurdish herds and deforestation for firewood erased even the memory.

So it is brackish salt with an abundance of herring. Plenty of food for a large squid population.
There is a reference page that says the Murat/Murad River flows from the lake, and then winds 75km to empty out into the Arabian Sea. Whether this it the same river, I don't know yet. Still searching.
_____________________________________________

Another interesting fact. On the video in the close-up shots of the creature, it's moving right to left. Just in front of the creature the water is sort of bubbling. This may explain it.

Squid have more than one way to get around. One way is to cruise at slow speeds using the paired fins at the rear of the mantle, combined with gentle, rhythmic pulses of water pushed out of the mantle cavity through the funnel. Squid expand the mantle cavity by contracting sets of muscles within the mantle, water fills the expanded space, the muscles relax, and the elastic mantle then snaps back to a smaller size, jetting water out through the funnel. The jet of water closes the flaps on either side of the squid's head so water can exit only through the funnel. This rhythmic flow of water is also the way in which squid breathe. As water passes in and out, the gills are refreshed with oxygen.

[Edited on 11-11-2003 by darklanser]

Just curious Darklanser, but did you come up with the giant squid theory? If so, I think that's quite a find.

That sounds like one of the best theories into what this thing is I've heard...
I wonder if any scientists who have studied the video have thought about that? Or if they immediately dismissed it as a hoax...

Originally posted by SevenZeroOne
Just curious Darklanser, but did you come up with the giant squid theory? If so, I think that's quite a find.

That sounds like one of the best theories into what this thing is I've heard...
I wonder if any scientists who have studied the video have thought about that? Or if they immediately dismissed it as a hoax...

As far as I know, I guess I am. All the other theories about this particular crypto seem to point towards a classic sauropod. My belief is that Lake Van harbors an Architeuthis dux type creature.

Lake Van doesn't have the biomass, the salt or the geography to support a cephlapod.

Lake Van is a relatively shallow deepest point about 330 ft. has only one known inhabitant a small herring like fish in small quantitiies, and is brackish

It was formed by volcanic action a million years ago so has never had contact with the ocean.

It has no outlets so nothing can swim upstream.

There are no know fresh water or land dwelling cephalopods, so the squid thing though a nice idea doesn't hold alot of water.

Besides look at the video it was shot from a fixed angle.
the thing looks like a godzilla versus the smog monster leftover being towed by a rope.

It's a ploy to draw tourists....

hrxll

must be something else, either a hoax or something else.

the last part of the video has the "head" extremely close to the shore line, because you can see the waves retreating back from the beach head.

IMO its a joke

Thats my feeling too, a hoax. If it were a squid it would be too close to the shore to move with its "wings" undulating. And if it were moving in its "jet propulsion" way, it would be gone too fast for a cameraman to keep up.

think i won't try that beach

It doesn't appear to be a hoax to me but admittedly the video clip is quite grainy and short. It does resemble clips at Loch Ness though that I have seen before.