Champ — Cryptid Encyclopedia

Lake Champlain stretches 125 miles along the border of Vermont and New York, reaching depths of over 400 feet. The Abenaki people called the creature that lived in its depths "Tatoskok" long before any European arrived. Then, in 1609, French explorer Samuel de Champlain himself reportedly described a serpentine creature in the lake — a twenty-foot being, "thick as a barrel, with a head like a horse."

Since then, over 300 documented sightings have been recorded. Champ is described as a long-necked, dark-colored creature with a serpentine body, a horse-like or snake-like head, and multiple humps visible when it surfaces. It moves quickly through the water and dives when approached.

The most famous piece of evidence came in 1977, when Sandra Mansi snapped a photograph of what appears to be a long-necked creature rising from the lake. The "Mansi photograph" has been analyzed repeatedly and never conclusively debunked as a hoax, though explanations ranging from a submerged log to a diving bird have been offered.

In 2003, the Fauna Communications Research Institute recorded echolocation-like sounds in the lake — clicks and pings similar to those produced by beluga whales or dolphins. No known species in Lake Champlain produces echolocation sounds. The recordings remain unexplained.

Both Vermont and New York have passed resolutions protecting Champ from harm — making it possibly the only cryptid with legal protection on both sides of a state line. The creature has become a beloved regional icon, but beneath the merchandise and mascots, something continues to surface in those deep, cold waters.

"I looked out and saw this thing come up out of the water. I grabbed my camera and snapped one picture." — Sandra Mansi, 1977.