Scientists think they have finally solved the Loch Ness Monster mystery, concluding that the beast is most likely an eel.
The findings come amid the release of footage showing a huge creature, thought to be an eel, in the Scottish Highlands' River Ness.
Divers also told academics they have previously spotted 13ft-long eels in the loch.
Professor Neil Gemmell, from the University of Otago in New Zealand, said: "Eels are very plentiful in Loch Ness, with eel DNA found at pretty much every location sampled - there are a lot of them. So - are they giant eels?
"Well, our data doesn't reveal their size, but the sheer quantity of the material says that we can't discount the possibility that there may be giant eels in Loch Ness.
"Therefore we can't discount the possibility that what people see and believe is the Loch Ness Monster might be a giant eel."
Previous explanations for the fabled Loch Ness Monster include that it was an ancient marine reptile, called a plesiosaur, or a Greenland shark.
However scientists are now more convinced than ever that the creature is an eel.
Professor Gemmell's team took water samples in the lock and found DNA matches for 15 different species of fish, Mail Online reports.
The Ness Fishery Board shared a video showing what is thought to be a large eel moving through the loch at the start of this month.
The organisation tweeted: "Lets be honest, when you see a large, eel shaped object passing your camera in the River Ness, the first thing you think of is the Loch Ness Monster."
