Canadian folklore Canadian folklore is the traditional material that Canadians pass down from generation to generation, either as oral literature or "by custom or practice". It includes songs, legends, jokes, rhymes, proverbs, weather lore, superstitions, and pra ...

, the Igopogo is a mythical creature said to dwell in

Lake Simcoe Lake Simcoe is a lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly within the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century, the lake was called ''Ouentir ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. The creature's name is ostensibly based on the

Ogopogo In Canadian folklore, the Ogopogo is a lake monster said to inhabit Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada. Some scholars have charted the entity's development from First Nations in Canada, First Nations folklore and widespread water monster f ...

, of

Lake Okanagan Okanagan Lake () is a lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The lake is long, between wide, and has a surface area of 348 km2 (135 sq. mi.). Hydrography Okanagan Lake is called a fjord lake as it has been carved ou ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, and also the title of the 1952 book ''I Go

Pogo Pogo, PoGo or POGO may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Gaming * Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator, any Philippines-based online gambling service * Pogo.com, a website featuring free online games Music * "Pogo", a song by Digitalism * ...

'', a slogan often mentioned in the comic. Other nicknames for the Igopogo include Beaverton Bessie, after

Beaverton, Ontario Beaverton is a community in Brock, Ontario, Brock Township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the eastern shore of Lake Simcoe at the mouth of the Beaver River (Lake Simcoe), Beaver River. History Beaverton ...

, and "Kempenfelt Kelly" after the bay that extends from the lake into the city of

Barrie Barrie is a city in Central Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay. Although it is physically in the county, Barrie is politically independent. The city is part ...

, Ontario. The city of Barrie erected The Sea Serpent sculpture, representing the legendary Igopogo, at the waterfront.

Appearance

E. J. Delaney, described it as a creature with two long antennae, four octopus-like arms, three pairs of legs, and six gill-like appendages with feathers. Some writers have speculated based on this appearance that the sightings were actually of

pinniped Pinnipeds (pronounced ), commonly known as seals, are a widely range (biology), distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals. They comprise the extant taxon, extant families Odobenidae (whose onl ...

s, such as

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...

s or seals.

Alleged sightings

David Soules, an early settler, is credited with the first alleged Igopogo sighting in 1823. While tending sheep, Soules reportedly saw a long creature leaving a wake in the water and a trail in the mud. Another major sighting took place in 1952 by four witnesses including Wellington Charles, chief of the Georgina Island First Nation. In 1983, sonar operator William W. Skrypetz reported spotting a large animal with a long neck, although some have disputed this account, claiming the reading could have instead been a school of fish. Other alleged sightings include reports in 1903 and 1906, and a 1991 video recording of "a large, seal-like animal." In 2016 John Kirk of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club claimed on ''The Shirley Show'' to have a tape of the creature, though he did not show it.

References

{{reflist Canadian folklore Canadian legendary creatures Lake monsters Lake Simcoe

Appearance

Alleged sightings

See also

References