Since the early 1600s, stories of a mysterious sea serpent known as Champ have captivated the imaginations of locals and tourists alike in the Lake Champlain region. Named after the famed explorer Samuel de Champlain, the legend of Champ has been embedded in the folklore of the area, which borders New York and Vermont.
The first sightings were recorded by Champlain himself, alongside the indigenous Abenaki tribe, marking the beginning of a centuries-old mystery.
For decades, Champ has remained an elusive figure, with only sparse evidence to suggest its existence.
The most notable image up until now was a 1977 photograph taken by Sandra Mansi, which provided a grainy glimpse of what some believe to be the fabled creature.
Until now.
Independent filmmakers Kelly Tabor and Richard Rossi were in the midst of shooting a fictional film titled Lucy and the Lake Monster, a heartwarming story about a 9-year-old girl and her grandfather on a quest to find Champ, the legendary lake monster rumored to inhabit the murky depths of Lake Champlain.
The film is based on their bestselling children’s book of the same name.
While filming in Bulwagga Bay, their cameraman flew a drone over the lake, capturing footage for the movie. It wasnt until post-production that they noticed something extraordinary.
What they saw left them stunned.
In a brief 10-second clip, now famously referred to as the “Tabor-Rossi footage,” a large, unidentified creature appears to be swimming beneath the surface of the lake.
The footage, posted to YouTube, has since garnered over 35,000 views, igniting a flurry of discussion and debate.
Many viewers are convinced the creature in the video is a plesiosaura prehistoric marine reptile that lived during the Mesozoic eraseen swimming behind a boat carrying the film’s lead actors, Emma Pearson and Richard Rossi.
Yesterday, Tabor and Rossi were interviewed on the popular Cryptid Creature podcast, where hosts Todd Stevens and Brian Brock examined the footage.
Stevens, an experienced crypto zoologist, expressed his belief in the footages authenticity.
“The creature is larger than the boat and is about fifty yards behind it,” Stevens explained. “It has the distinct body shape of a plesiosaur.
Its not a sturgeon or a school of fish; this is a single, massive body moving through the water.”
It was Tabor who first spotted the mysterious creature while reviewing footage on her large-screen TV.
“Its poetic that Kelly was the one to see it first,” Rossi said.
“Shes been searching for Champ since she was a child, growing up by the lake in Crown Point, New York.”
Tabor insists that the discovery was completely accidental.
“We didnt set out to capture Champ on camera,” she said.
“It just happened.”
While Tabor is the true believer of the duo, her filmmaking partner, Rossi, remains skeptical.
“Im the more analytical one,” he explained.
“But even I cant deny theres something in that footage.
Well be submitting it to scientists for further analysis, and hopefully, well have a peer-reviewed report by 2025.”
Since the footages release, multiple versions have circulated across social media platforms like Pinterest and YouTube, with cryptozoologists and enthusiasts using digital enhancements to analyze the creatures shape and movement.
The Tabor-Rossi footage even made its way into their film, Lucy and the Lake Monster, appearing around the four-minute mark.
The film, which has already won 11 awards in various film festivals according to imdb.com, is screening in theaters across the United States and is slated for release on DVD and streaming platforms next year.
“As filmmakers, our focus is always on the craftwhether thats the screenplay, the acting, or the cinematography,” Rossi said.
“The Champ footage has certainly brought attention to our work, but our primary goal is to tell a good story.
Champ, in a way, has become our unexpected publicist.”
“And perhaps the biggest star of our film,” Tabor added with a smile.
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