This eerie photo of a strange object in a London lake is a dead ringer for the most famous Loch Ness Monster photograph of all time.
The photo, which has been dubbed “Nessie in Wimbledon Park Lake”, captures a black outline in the water that looks exactly like the mythical beast.
It’s particularly evocative of the famous “surgeon’s photograph” from 1934 – supposedly the first image to capture the giant creature's neck and head.
Arek Chytros, who took the new “Nessie” photo, said he snapped it while strolling by the lake one morning.
It picked up hundreds of likes and dozens of comments when he shared it online.
“My goodness,” wrote one person.
“Awesome,” said another.
Do you believe in Nessie? Have your say in the comment section
But it was not taken so seriously by others.
One Londoner wrote: “That’s an escaped elephant. Anyone missing any?”
Another said: “F***ing wild swimmers!”
And one Scot commented: “On behalf of all Invernessians living in London, I can confirm that we endorse this message.”
Others proposed that Arek had seen a cat, an exhaust system, a wheelbarrow or a Boris bike.
While one person quipped that Nessie “took a holiday”.
The original “surgeon’s photograph” made headlines at the time, but is now believed to have been an elaborate hoax.
It was apparently created using a toy submarine with wood putty attached, fashioned into a head and neck.
For Arek, however, the hoax is not so elaborate.
“It’s a tree,” he said. “As soon as I spotted it I thought of Nessie hence I snapped a picture.”
But Arek, a construction site manager, is keeping an open mind as to whether an actual Loch Ness Monster exists.
“You never know what’s hiding in the unknown,” the 35-year-old said.
“If a real Nessie exists then it’s gotta be some dinosaur that refused to go extinct.
“I’d like to think that it does exist.”
