Alaska has own Loch Ness monster?

Does Alaska have its own version of the Loch Ness Monster? It may, if shaky, grainy footage of a creature caught by local fishermen turns out to be true. The creature, estimated at 20 to 30 feet long, has even brought an air of "marine creature mystery" that may rival that of Nessie. Prominent cryptozoologists who have seen the video footage believe the creature is a Cadborosaurus willsi - an alleged sea serpent from the North Pacific and possibly other regions, MSNBC reported. The footage, shot by Alaskan fishermen as far back as 2009, will be aired on "Hillstranded," a new Discovery Channel special. "I am quite impressed with the video. Although it was shot under rainy circumstances in a bouncy ship, it's very genuine," Paul LeBlond, former head of the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of British Columbia told Discovery News. He added the 2009 video may add to the authentication of the "cryptid" — an animal whose existence is suggested but not recognized by scientific consensus. LeBlond, co-author of the book "Cadborosaurus: Survivor from the Deep," said the animal is "the least unlike a plesiosaur," or carnivorous marine reptiles thought to have gone extinct at the end of the Cretaceous Period. Such a creature is depicted as having a long neck, a horse-like head, large eyes, and back bumps that stick out of the water. Also, LeBlond disputed speculations the Cadborosaurus is actually a frill shark, a large eel, or some kind of fish, saying it cannot be a fish due to the way it moves. "It must be a mammal or a reptile, since it oscillates up and down in a vertical plane, which eliminates sideways-oscillating fish," he said. John Kirk, president of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, concurred as he said the video was "important." "They (the fishermen) simply don't know what they have got in terms of the creatures in this video," he said. Past tales Tales of sightings of the creature in the North Pacific have circulated for 200 years. In 1937, scientists thought they might have uncovered physical evidence when what was thought to be a sea serpent was found inside the stomach of a whale. But the creature is classified as part of Cryptozoology, i.e., a creature not formally recognized by the scientific community. Believers One possible new believer today is Andy Hillstrand, a veteran of the reality-TV show "Deadliest Catch," who tracks the creature in his new show, "Hillstranded." He told Discovery News he might have seen the animal while filming the special. Hillstrand and his brother Johnathan traveled to sites in Alaska where Cadborosaurus has been spotted. "We saw a big, long white thing moving in the water (in one location). We chased it for about 20 minutes," he said. "Spray came out of its head. It was definitely not a shark. A giant eel may be possible, but eels don't have humps that all move in unison. I've never seen anything like it before," he added. Hillstrand speculates whales following salmon might be pushing the animals closer to shores and in the view of humans. Also, he said he believes the fishermen who have reported seeing the animal "are not a bunch of fruitcakes." "These are people who are familiar with the local marine life," he said. Hillstrand said he is not ruling out another Cadborosaurus-related trip. "We live in Alaska, so we might investigate Cadborosaurus again in future," he said. "We are always up for an adventure." - GMA News