The s8intcom Blogger

By J.P. SQUIRE The Daily Courier

Ogopogo reports haven’t surfaced since mid-May, but the existence of something big in the lake might be confirmed in a National Geographic special Aug. 1. Forensic investigator Joe Nickol and his buddy, Ben Redford, came to the Okanagan Feb. 4-6 and used a surveying crew after examining the first ­ and some of the best ­ film footage of something in Okanagan Lake

The crew used survey quadrants to determine there was something 40-60 feet long 300 feet offshore on that 1968 film, said Arlene Gaal, Kelowna Ogopogo expert and the author of several books on the creature

“They concluded there was a large unknown animal in the lake, moving at a good speed, pushing water ahead of it. It was nice to get those assurances,” she said

The program, called Is It Real?, will focus on sea and lake creatures. The two men, who have co-written a number of books, assume the roles of believer and non-believer

“It was probably one of the more interesting shoots we’ve had due to the personalities involved,” said Gaal

Another film crew is expected to arrive in the Okanagan in early August to do a show on Ogopogo for B.C. Experience, a new display that is taking over a renovated Crystal Gardens in Victoria

The last reported sighting of Ogopogo was at 5 p.m. on May 17 when Rob Casorso was working in an orchard and saw a huge object in calm water in front of Manteo Beach Resort on Lakeshore Road

The object was thrashing around; a boater passing by appeared to see it and moved in quite close, said Gaal

Something “leaped up, quickly sprang out of the water” and the boater backed off as the object disappeared

By coincidence, John Casorso, Rob’s brother, had earlier seen something strange in Okanagan Lake opposite The Grand hotel in downtown Kelowna

On Aug. 24, 2004, an Edmonton resident filmed what appeared to be a fin coming out of the water in the same area

On May 10 this year, a Peachland couple, both seniors, also saw something. “The neat thing is the husband was a non-believer until he saw an object off Beach Avenue,” said Gaal

No sightings have been reported since those two in May, but as soon as local news outlets report anything on Ogopogo, she usually gets several calls from people who believe they’ve also recently seen something unusual.