Ogopogo: The Lake Monster of Okanagan

Ogopogo is a lake monster reported from Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada. First Nations peoples called it N’ha-a-itk, and European settlers have reported sightings since the 1870s—decades before the Loch Ness Monster became famous. Today, Ogopogo is Canada’s most-reported lake monster.

Indigenous Tradition

The Syilx (Okanagan) people have traditions about N’ha-a-itk, a water spirit dwelling in the lake. The creature was feared, and travelers would make offerings before crossing certain areas of the lake.

According to some traditions, N’ha-a-itk could control the weather on the lake and would demand sacrifices. Canoes crossing without offerings might be capsized.

Description

Ogopogo is described as 15 to 50 feet long, with a serpentine body showing multiple humps when swimming. The head is described as horse-like or sheep-like. The creature is typically dark green or black.

The monster moves with vertical undulations, creating a characteristic series of humps that break the surface. It is most often seen in calm water when its movements are visible.

Notable Sightings

European sightings began in 1872, when Susan Allison reported seeing a strange creature in the lake. Sightings increased in the early twentieth century.

In 1926, approximately thirty cars stopped on the lakeshore as passengers watched what appeared to be a large serpentine creature swimming. Multiple independent witnesses described the same phenomenon.

Film footage exists from various decades, though none is conclusive. Video shot in 1968 shows something moving through the water with the characteristic humps, but skeptics have suggested it could be a swimming animal or a boat wake.

Rattlesnake Island

Sightings concentrate around Rattlesnake Island in the center of the lake. This area features deep water and was traditionally considered the creature’s home by the Syilx people.

Modern sonar surveys have detected large objects moving at depth in this area, though nothing has been definitively identified.

Assessment

Ogopogo benefits from the same environment that supports lake monster reports elsewhere: deep, cold, dark water that could conceivably harbor an unknown creature. The lake is over 100 miles long and reaches depths of over 800 feet.

The consistency of reports across 150 years, from witnesses who often had no knowledge of the legend, suggests something is being seen. Whether that something is an unknown species, misidentified known animals, or a persistent optical illusion, Ogopogo remains Canada’s most famous mystery.