Nahuelito

November 11th, 2008 Posted in culture, fauna

Written by Shanie

Some say it is a lie. Some hold it as an absolute truth. Either way people have been talking about it for over 200 years.

Bariloche’s azure Lago Nahuel Huapi is believed to be the home for a creature cousin to the famous Loch Ness Monster. Nahuelito, as he/she is called, has as much mystique and legend surrounding the story as one can imagine. The first sightings date back to before the introduction of white man to the Patagonian landscape. The Mapuche Indians have intricately detailed stories of fisherman encountering a giant beast off the lake’s rocky shores.

The first recorded witness was in 1910 by George Garret. While sailing back to land in the evening hours, he reportedly stole glances of an enormous creature that filled out the area equaling 16 to 22 feet long and six feet high. Although he kept quiet about his experience until 1922, his tall tale has many details that match native Indian’s stories from before. The details of the appearance, whether in the ancient stories of Indian folklore, the fable of a newly transplanted settler or the recent sightings in the 21st century; it is always between fifteen and thirty feet, has two humps, leathery skin, a slender, swan-like neck, a narrow head and a snake-like body.

There have been a few times that Jamie and I have seen something strange in the water or the small wake of nothing glistening off the Patagonian sunshine. We will look at each other questioningly, but usually leave it at that.

Legends aren’t supposed to be proven, are they?

  1. 2 Responses to “Nahuelito”

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  2. Oct 30, 2009: LivingInPatagonia.com » Blog Archive » I Swear I Saw the Cousin of the Loch Ness Monster, Nahuelito

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