Underwater Rides - History of Champ Sightings

Champlain Submarine Cruises - Underwater Rides includes a stop to see the history of the Champ sightings in Bulwagga Bay, Port Henry, NY.


Highlights of Champ Sightings:

* 1819: Bulwagga Bay, Port Henry, NY
* 1871: Horseshoe Bay, riders of the steamship Curlew claimed to see a head and long neck that created quite a wake.
* 1870: Charlotte, Vermont, a full steamboat spotted Champ
* 1873: Dresden, New York, another steamboat full spotted Champ
* 1945: In the middle of the lake the creature was spotted by the famous S.S. Ticonderoga
* 1954: A 14 inch reptile was trapped in Shelburne Bay, possibly a baby…
* 1977: The Mansi photograph was taken by Sandra Mansi, a tourist from Connecticut
* 1984: Off Appletree Point, Vermont. 86 passengers aboard the Ethan Allen spotted 3 to 5 “humps” which disappeared after about 3 minutes due to the approach of a speed boat.
* 1993: Button Bay State Park, Ferrisburgh, Vermont. A baby Champ reportedly swam between two women bathers.
* 1995: Dennis Hall of Champ Quest recorded Champ on video.

Champ, The Lake Champlain Monster - FAQs

The captain of Champlain Submarine Cruises said yesterday that the Underwater Rides in search of Champ has been a huge success! The following are the most popular questions being asked:

What is Champ- a dinosaur, a plesiosaur, a whale?
While some people believe that Champ is a dinosaur that managed to escape extinction, others think Champ is a primitive form of whale called a zeuglodon.
Still others believe Champ could be related to a plesiosaur, a prehistoric water dwelling reptile with a long snakelike head and four large flippers. Plesiosaurs loved fish and other aquatic animals.

How many Champs would it take to continue a population in Lake Champlain?
It would take approximately 50 mature Champs, to have a breeding population in the Lake and 500 to keep the species alive in the long term. Lake Champlain has been around for 10,000 years. It is 120 miles long, 400 feet deep in places and home to a diverse population of birds and aquatic life, which would provide an ideal habitat for such a creature.

Are there any pictures of Champ?
The best picture of Champ is the Mansi photograph taken in the summer of 1977. Sandra Mansi and her fiancé Anthony were vacationing on the shores of Lake Champlain when they saw a great head and neck break the surface of the lake. Sandra quickly grabbed her Kodak Instamatic and snapped a shot. That shot is the best evidence that Champ actually exists in Lake Champlain. The photograph has been examined by experts who claim that it has not been altered in any way. The photograph was in the New York Times and Time Magazine among others. Mansi Photograph. There are other purported pictures of Champ but the Mansi one is clearly the best to date.

Underwater Rides - Loch Ness, Scotland

Champlain Submarine Cruises - Underwater Rides actually began in Scotland. The idea of this new Vermont tourism service came from a video from itnsource that was shown on YouTube , eight months ago. The video is taken in Scotland of a small ex Royal Navy Submarine that’s giving rides underwater in Loch Ness to people who hope to catch a glimpse of “Nessie”, the Loch Ness Monster .
An hours trip will take you 750ft down to the Loch floor. Researchers will also use the sub to gather samples from the bed of the Loch – sediments dating back to the ice age.
Champlain Submarine Cruises began the Underwater Rides in search of Champ , said to be the cousin of Nessie, due to the overwhelming interest worldwide with these elusive lake monsters.

Champlain Submarine Cruises

Champlain Submarine Cruises is now offering a new tourism service: Underwater Rides in search of Champ, the Lake Champlain Monster.

Due to a recent post on YouTube proving the existence of Champ, 30-45 couples and families from NYC and Boston have been flocking to Vermont.

Because of the tremendous interest, Champlain Submarine Cruises recognized this as an opportunity for a new Vermont tourism service, and began offering the Underwater Rides last month. "People love the lake" said the captain, "but even those who hate boats are bringing their families to see Champ!"
The last video that captured what was thought to be Champ, was February 22, 2006 when
ABC News obtained an exclusive video of "something" just under the surface of the lake. The video was taken by two fishermen with their digital camera last summer. Before their supposed sighting, they were Champ skeptics. Two retired FBI analysts reviewed the tape and said that it appeared authentic.
Champ, a cousin of the Loch Ness Monster, is said to reside between the states of New York and Vermont. A billboard, located in Port Henry just off Hwy 22, provides a running account of Champ sightings dating back to 1609.

The Champlain Submarine Cruise Itinerary for Underwater Rides in search of Champ, is posted under Lake Cruises at the Lake Champlain Ferries website. The ride will go as far as Bulwagga Bay by Port Henry, NY, where Champ has been sighted most frequently. The three hour Underwater Ride includes a trip through the Underwater Historic Preserves and a tour of the historic shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Champlain. There will be a Periscope for the kids to see the sights above the water. Sonar will be used to detect anything larger than 10 feet coming within a mile radius of the submarine. A steward will also be on hand to answer questions and describe the fish and fauna throughout the tour. This new Vermont tourism service will prove to be both educational and fun for the entire family.


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Besides the Underwater Rides by Champlain Submarine Cruises; Burlington, VT is home to many area attractions such as the Echo Lake Aquarium and Science Center and the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Check out the Official Vermont Tourism Site, Vermont Vacation, for lodging, dining and other Burlington, VT attractions.