Some History of Ogopogo

In 1926, a few years before Loch Ness became the ubiquitous capital of lake-monsterdom, the town government of Kelowna announced that a new ferry would have "monster repelling devices." Ask the locals in a tucked-away corner of British Columbia, Canada. They've all heard of Ogopogo; some have even seen him. In 2001, the Chamber of Commerce offered $2 million to anyone who could definitively verify Ogopogo's existence! These are some of the reasons that warrant a visit to Kelowna in the pursuit of Lake Monster Culture.

What's in a Name?

While the name Ogopogo is well known in this area, it is not the only name the lake monster has held during its tenure to Lake Okanagan. To the Inland Salish Native Americans who lived here up to 4,000 years before Westward expansion, whatever lies beneath was named "N'ha-a-itk" which roughly translates to "Devil of the Lake." When traveling across the lake, customary animal sacrifices were sometimes given to the lake, around Rattlesnake Island, in order to appease the lake-monster's temper.

1872 is widely believed to be the first year that a siting was made by a white settler. Since then, the mode of sitings is a creature about 15-20 feet long (although some reports say as long as 70) with a head like a horse or goat. Accomplished scientist and author Roy Mackal, famous for his work on Loch Ness, suspected that whatever lies in Lake Okanagan must be a kind of whale.

One of the more published encounters with N'ha-a-itk at this time was by ferryman John McDougall. In respect to local wisdom, Mr. McDougall would sometimes offer sacrifices before crossing the lake. On a day when he forgot to do this, his ferry was attacked by the lake monster, and he lost two horses he was attempting to transport across the lake.

Not until the 1920's did the name of the lake-monster begin to shift towards that of Ogopogo. While debate still ranges about the exact inspiration, the consensus rallies around several incarnations of a popular 20's music hall song containing the name "Ogopogo." The name, easier to pronounce than the Native American one, would stick, and is now the most common name given to Canada's most famous lake monster.

Shortly after the name change, Ogopogo would lose its connotation of danger, making a transition towards humor and friendliness. Today, the legend of Ogopogo has attracted international fame, as well as its fair share of the tourist market.