Vancouver Canucks fan photographs alleged Loch Ness Monster

Fans of the Vancouver Canucks have finally laid eyes upon something that the world has been waiting a long time to see…and we’re not talking about a playoff appearance.

We’re talking, of course, about the Loch Ness Monster.

For the uninitiated, “Nessie” is a veritable all-star of cryptozoology, meaning that it’s one of the planet’s most famous creatures that may or may not exist. Witnessed as early as the year 565, the Loch Ness Monster is supposedly a plesiosaur-like lake-beast that has somehow managed to survive into the modern era in the murky depths of Scotland’s Loch Ness. The cultural phenomenon really kicked off in 1933, and sightings have occurred in most years since.

Alleged sightings, that is. Actual evidence of the Loch Ness Monster’s existence has been much harder to come by, with the most prominent piece probably being the infamous 1960 Tim Dinsdale video.

Until now!

The UK tabloids are abuzz with the news that a couple of Canadian expats, now living in London, captured Nessie on camera over this past Easter weekend.

And, would you believe it, at least one them is a fan of the Vancouver Canucks.

Parry Malm, formerly of Coquitlam, and his partner Shannon Wiseman, formerly of Calgary, spent their holidays touring around Scotland with their two children. Now, those with knowledge of confirmation bias will be interested to know that Malm and Wiseman specifically sought out Loch Ness because of the monstrous legends, and did load up on several LNM books before making the journey. In other words, they were really hoping to run into Nessie…and it would seem that their wish was granted.

The family hadn’t been sitting on the shores of the loch for too long when they caught sight of an object or creature moving through the water. It seemed to be animate, and it looked as though its neck was craning above the water.

Wiseman, for what it’s worth, assumed the creature was a seal, which tells you a bit about the size. But seals are said to be rare appearances in the loch. And this did seem a little bit bigger than a seal.

In an attempt to “play it up” for the kids, the couple snapped a photo. And to keep the fun afloat, they then uploaded that photo to “The Official Loch Ness Monsters Sightings Register,” which quickly replied back that this was the first “confirmed” sighting of 2024. Which really just means that the photo could not be easily interpreted as a wave, log, or known animal, and was thus potentially an actual photo of an actual monster.

Then the UK tabloids got wind of the story, and Malm and Wiseman became short-term cryptid celebrities.

Now, by this point you may be wondering why we’re covering this particular story on CanucksArmy. As we mentioned at the outset, Malm is originally from Coquitlam, and he did charmingly report the creature’s size in terms borrowed from his British Columbian upbringing: “bigger than a Sasquatch but smaller than Ogopogo.”

But we didn’t find out the full extent of the Canucks connection until the Canadian media took notice of the story and brought the couple on for an interview. There, as they spoke about ‘wanting to believe’ that what they saw was an actual prehistoric beastie to the people of their own original homeland, Malm chose to wear a Vancouver Canucks shirt.

Because, even in the midst of an international mystery, it’s still the playoffs, and Canucks fandom comes first over cryptozoology.

Wiseman, for what it’s worth, selected a vest and denim combo that showed absolutely no hints of favouring the Flames. But Malm wanted the world to know that it was a Canucklehead who got Nessie on camera, and that’s pretty special.

For a fanbase that has also been waiting for what feels like centuries to lay their eyes upon the legendary Stanley Cup, it’s a undeniably cool connection.

Malm made no indication as to whether his experience with Fin, the popular Vancouver mascot, made him particularly apt to spot an aquatic animal of unusual size, but we almost have to assume. The CBC also forgot to ask if Malm initially thought the long-necked creature might just be Tyler Myers out for a swim, but CanucksArmy is seeking a follow-up interview to ask these hard-hitting questions and others.

Malm closed off his talk with CBC by offering a message that can just as easily be applied to the hopes and dreams of Canucks fans as it can be to the search for Nessie:

“What it sort of reaffirmed for me is there’s still things in the world that can surprise and delight you.”

With the all-new fully electric Toyota bZ4X, you’re always in charge.

Designed to go the distance for you and your family, this SUV can confidently cruise up to 406 km on a single charge while creating zero emissions. And loaded with all the capable reliability you come to expect from Toyota, keep the good times rolling with an 8 year or 160,000 km warranty. Make every drive electric and get up to $11,000 in rebates and incentives. The bZ4X are in-stock now and selling quickly, visit shoptoyota.ca or your local Pacific Toyota dealer
today to learn more.