Champ
A lake monster said to inhabit Lake Champlain on the Vermont and New York border, with reported sightings dating to the 19th century and a famous 1977 photograph that remains the most-cited piece of purported evidence.
Field Guide Entry
Origin Story
Indigenous Abenaki oral tradition described a creature in the lake long before European settlement, and 19th-century newspapers carried occasional sighting reports. The name "Champ" stuck after decades of regional folklore, by analogy with Scotland's Loch Ness Nessie.
Evidence & Claims
The best-known evidence is the 1977 "Mansi Photograph," taken by Sandra Mansi, showing a long-necked shape breaking the lake's surface. Sonar surveys and amateur sightings have continued intermittently since.
Skeptical Explanations
Analysts have proposed the Mansi photograph shows a floating log, an otter or sturgeon wake, or another mundane object; the original negative has never been independently examined, which has prevented a conclusive debunking or confirmation either way.
Visiting Information
The ECHO science center sits on the Burlington waterfront with exhibits on the lake's ecology and history, and lake views from the building itself. Open daily, all seasons.
Field Gallery
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