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One of the more bizarre theories about the origins of the Loch Ness Monster has been debunked by the research worker who help to bulge the hazardous rumor : that long - necked " Nessie " might actually have been a giant ’s member .
The novel theory surfaced April 8 onTwitterwhen Michael Sweet , a molecular ecologist at the University of Derby in the U.K. , put up pictures of erectblue whale(Balaenoptera musculus ) penises , which can reach a maximal duration of 10 feet ( 3 meter ) , alongside an alleged image of Nessie . The photos highlighted the remarkable similarity between their subjects . Sweet captioned the images by excuse that in the past , sailor might have mistake upright hulk penises at the sea surface for mythical sea creatures .
The first photograph of Nessie from 1934, which is widely considered to be a hoax.
" Back in [ the ] day , travellers / explorers would pass what they saw , " Sweet wrote on Twitter . " This is where many sea monster write up come from ( i.e. tentacled and alienesque extremity come forth from the water , giving belief to something more sinister lurking beneath ) . However , [ in ] many font it was just whale hawkshaw . "
By April 14 , the tweet accumulated more than 93,000 like , and it was rapidly picked up by a number of tabloid news show vent , in the first place in the U.K. , that lay claim the Loch Ness Monster could have been an erect whale phallus after all . However , the pictures had been shared out of setting , and many people omit the original intent behind the tweet .
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" I used the image of Nessie just as an example of what people used to key sea monsters depend like , " Sweet told Live Science in an email . " There are no giant whatsoever in Loch Ness , so Nessie was a short choice to use in this representative . " Sweet also believes the photo of Nessie ( which was hire in 1934 ) is most likely a put-on , and he suggested that the cryptid — a creature whose existence is quarrel — likely never be .
The idea of Nessie first became democratic in the early 20th century . In 2019 , a study of theDNAin Loch Ness , Scotland , substantiate that there was no strange transmitted material in the water , confirming that even if the Loch Ness Monster once lived there , it does n’t anymore , Live Science previously reported .
Back in day , travellers / explorers would make what they saw . This is where many sea behemoth story come from ie . tentacled and alienesque appendage emerging from the water - give belief to something more sinister lie in wait beneath …. however , many cases it was just whale pecker . pic.twitter.com/6ZH1nJZvB1April 8 , 2022
However , this does n’t mean the tweet was totally off base . " The tweet still stands as factual , " Sweet say Live Science . " Many whales ' penises ( from various coinage ) were surely mistaken by tired and half - starved sailor around the world . "
This is not the first time researchers have paint a picture that hulk penises have been misinterpret as mythic sea creatures . In 2005 , a study print in the journalArchives of Natural Historysuggested that a " most dreadful monster " depict by Dano - Norwegian explorer Hans Egede in 1734 was most likely the upright penis of a humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) or asperm whale(Physeter macrocephalus ) .
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In a comment on the original tweet , Sweet explain that it is normal for large cetaceans to occasionally horn in their erect penises out of the water . " hulk often mate in groups , so while one male is officious with the female the other male just protrude his putz out of the body of water while swimming around waiting his turn , " Sweet wrote on Twitter . " Everyone ’s got ta have a mo of fun , right ? "
Originally published on Live Science .
