By Tim Binnall
A legendary Argentine lake monster will soon have its moment in the sun thanks to a new walking tour which celebrates the creature that spawned worldwide headlines over a century ago and continues to captivate people to this day. Previously a part of indigenous folklore, the mysterious beast said to reside in Nahuel Huapi Lake reportedly entered the proverbial cryptozoological canon back in 1922 by way of a story in a Canadian newspaper. In the article, a man named George Garret recounted visiting the site around a decade earlier and seeing a plesiosaur-like creature emerge from the water. His tale was picked up by media outlets around the world and a second witness subsequently came forward with a contemporaneous sighting of what seemed to be the same animal.
The two separate accounts of a sizeable mystery creature, dubbed Nahuelito, lurking in the lake sparked something of a frenzy and an expedition was soon launched to look for the oddity. While the search failed to find any trace of the aquatic beast, a veritable monster was born out of the excitement and it has since come to be regarded as Argentina's version of Nessie to the point that its home is now dubbed La Laguna del Plesiosaurio or Lagoon of the Plesiosaur. Much like its 'cousin' from Scotland, Nahuelito has drawn visitors from around the world, inspired a variety of commercial ventures, and may have even been filmed on a few occasions by astounded observers.
Having been a part of the local culture for over a century, the monster is now reportedly set to be the centerpiece of an expansive guided walking tour titled 'The Plesiosaur of the Lagoon ... More Than a Legend.' Launching this coming weekend, the attraction will feature a re-creation of the 1922 expedition in search of the creature as well as an exploration of the cultural impact that the tale has had on the region. Putting Nahuelito a little closer to Nessie in the pantheon of lake monsters, local officials are hopeful that the rather unique walking tour will tap into the "adventure tourism" market and bring new people to the Lagoon of the Plesiosaur in search of the mysterious creature.