Source: TN (News Station- Argentina)
Date: June 3, 2022
Cryptozoology: Nahuelito - The Bariloche Sea Monster - Reappears
While walking along the shores of lake Nahuel Huapi, a woman captured the moment in which a strange figure emerged from the water. The video went viral on social media and spread terror among residents of the Rio Negro community.
After many years, terror returned to Bariloche following the alleged reappearance of Nahuelito, the lake Nahuel Huapi sea monster. A resident of this Rio Negro community captured the moment at which a strange figure emerged from the water. After the images went viral on social media, hundreds of people agreed that it was indeed the creature.
As shown in the video, a figure emerges from the water, presumably Nahuelito, a kind of serpent that hides underwater. While experts note that it could also be a plesiosaur, locals say that they've seen a little 'hump' peeking through the surface in several instances.
Moreover, Silvina - in charge of sharing the video on social media - says that she saw it while strolling through the nature reserve, and succeeded in recording it, despite the difficulty of using a cellphone to do so. "I saw it move and then it vanished, leaving behind a ring like the ones fish leave when they jump and then submerge," she told El Cordillerano newspaper.
Furthermore, the woman says that she lives with her family some 23 kilometers distant from where Nahuelito appeared and that "it isn't the first time she's seen strange things in the area."
Based on the images, other local residents also claimed seeing Nahuelito, although they weren't able to record it "because they didn't have their phones on them" or simply because the beast 'departed too quickly."
As told by Bariloche residents, the legend of "Nahuelito" arises from the indigenous peoples, who believed the creature lived in lake Nahuel Huapi. However, the theory gained relevance in 1910 when George Garret, a man sailing the waters, said that the "animal" measured between 5 and 7 meters long and stood some 2 meters over the water. Added to this was the account of Martin Sheffield, a U.S. gold hunter who claimed seeing large footprints on the shores of the lake. This resulted in a 1922 hunt for the creature, led by renowned hunters from all over the country. Despite their efforts, which had international repercussions, they did not find it.
[Translation (c) 2023 INEXPLICATA with thanks to Eduardo Grosso]