Lake Norman Monster

A photograph of James that inadvertently shows the Lake Norman Monster.

## About

The Lake Norman Monster is a cryptid that inhabits the waters of Lake Norman up in North Carolina. Sightings of the beast, also dubbed "Normie," began back in the 1970s. The appearance of the cryptid varies between witnesses, with some describing it as a serpent while others say it looks like a plesiosaur. The most common description of the Lake Norman Monster is that it looks somewhat like an alligator, only larger and more primitive.

## History

Lake Norman is a manmade lake that was created by Duke Energy back in 1963 as part of the Cowan's Ford Dam. Construction continued up until 1967, and once complete it was the largest manmade lake in all of North Carolina. Lake Norman consists of almost 500 miles of shoreline and has a water surface area of 32,500 acres. This provides a lot of territory for a large unknown cryptid, as well as a variety of other wildlife.

Once the dam was constructed, another project was commissioned in the 1980s. This project was the McGuire Nuclear Plant, which is also found on Lake Norman.

Sightings of Normie started in the 1970s, soon after Lake Norman was constructed. People on the water traveling on boats reported being chased by a strange creature, and it seems Normie has a habit of chasing fast-moving watercraft. One person riding a jet ski reported that the Lake Norman Monster surfaced right in front of his craft, and as he swerved to avoid it the scaly/slimy skin of the beast brushed against his leg, causing a rash in the days following.

A scuba diver in the lake reported encountering a dog-headed sea creature that attacked him while diving underwater, but thankfully all the diver lost was his flipper. Other swimmers have reported large creatures brushing against their legs, seemingly too large to be the normal fish found around the lake.

## Theories

One of the most widely-held theories is that Normie is a mutant, created by the McGuire Nuclear Plant. They claim that this powerplant dumped waste into Lake Norman, mutating the catfish. Victims of the mutation range from catfish to alligator gar, but whatever the fish the point is the nuclear waste turned it into a monster. Most people in the region hold this theory because the lake itself is manmade, making it unlikely that any natural creature or prehistoric monster was able to make its way into Lake Norman.

Some people claim that the Lake Norman monster isn't a mutant at all, but rather a prehistoric plesiosaur or mosasaur that somehow made its way into the lake. These theorists believe that the construction of Lake Norman somehow hit an underwater cavern, allowing these monsters to enter.

Lame eggheads will try and tell you that the Lake Norman Monster is something *easily explainable*, and that apparently all of the residents of North Carolina are mentally disabled. They claim that large alligator gar explain the sightings and explain the appearance of Normie, however they don't explain the violent attacks or the rash after contact. Some other nerds will tell you it's just alligators, as some alligators have been spotted in the region in the past, however alligators do not grow large enough to fit the description of the beast. Other candidates include the large salamanders known as "hellbenders," bowfin fish, or large catfish.