162. Pepie, The Monster of Lake Pepin

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In 2008 in Lake City, MN, a
local businessman by the name of

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Larry Nielsen offered up a
$50,000 reward to anyone who

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could provide proof of a
creature that dwelled in the

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depths of Lake Pepin, a lake
within the Mississippi River

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that separates the state of
Wisconsin and Minnesota.

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Spanning 40 square miles with an
average depth of about 21 feet,

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Lake Pepin is said to be a
mixture of the remnants of an

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ancient glacier lake that slowly
rescinded at the end of the last

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Ice Age and the sediment build
up from the end of the Chippewa

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River.
The 22 mile long and two mile

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wide body of water stands
between Bay City, WI and Reeds

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Landing, Minnesota while also
touching the Wisconsin towns of

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Pepin, Maiden Rock and
Stockholm, as well as the Front

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and Neck State Park and the town
of Red Wing, MN.

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Lake Pepin has had many claims
to fame throughout history, some

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of them good, such as being the
birth place of the sport of

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water skiing when brothers Ren
and Ralph Samuelson discovered

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that if you strap long pieces of
pine board with upturn tips to

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your feet and held onto a rope
that was tied to a boat, your

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days on the water could not only
become more dangerous but also

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incredibly fun.
But unfortunately, some of the

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events that Lake Pepin is famous
for are not so good.

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Events such as the Sea Wing
disaster of 1890 when the 135

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foot rear wheel rafter known as
a Sea Wing sank during a freak

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storm that left 98 of its 200
passengers dead at the bottom of

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Lake Pepin.
And some things that the lake is

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famous for are just paranormal
in nature.

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Around the year 1800, a lovesick
native woman, known in most

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modern retellings of the story
as Princess Wynona, leaped to

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her death from the 400 foot
Cliff known as Maiden Rock down

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to the large rocky shore below.
The event has been thought of as

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the origin event for many
strange happenings in the area.

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People over the years have
reported hearing a woman singing

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a native song that has become
known as Winona's Death Song.

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Visitors claim to have an
overwhelming feeling of dread

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and sadness come over them when
in the vicinity of the famous

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Cliff, only to feel normal again
when they leave the area.

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Even though the lake is known
for some pretty dark stuff, the

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highways along both shores of
the lake provide beautiful

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sights of the area's ecology to
anyone who is looking for a drop

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dead view, which is considered
by some as the best in the

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Northern Midwest.
But it was from the shores of

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this lake that many throughout
history have laid witness to a

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monster that's true.
Identity has remained a mystery

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since before the local Native
American Mound builders told of

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its presence and stories dating
back before the establishment of

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America.
Today we dive into the chilly

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waters of the northern
Mississippi River in search of

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the truth behind the legend of
Pepe, the Monster of Lake Pepin,

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and Welcome back to Infinite
Rabbit Hole Imagine.

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This line represents the time
present 1985 Future Past prior

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to this point in time somewhere
here in the past, the timeline

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you've gone into this tangent
creating a Swift 1985 alternate

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to you here.
Einstein.

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Reality for everyone else.
Welcome back to the Infinite

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Rabbit Hole.
I'm your host, Jeremy, and today

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we're diving into the murky,
cold waters of Lake Pepin, which

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separates the states of
Wisconsin and Minnesota.

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Why, you ask?
Well, there's two reasons why.

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One is because there was a
little girl who reached out and

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said that she was a huge fan of
the show.

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Her name is Scarlett.
After she reached out, I asked

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her what she would like me to
cover and she said that she

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wanted to hear more about Lake
Monsters.

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So here it is.
Scarlett, this one's for you.

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My second reason is because,
well, I just moved to this area

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and I'm only about an hour
northeast of Lake Pepin.

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Actually, I would say an hour,
maybe a stretch.

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So in order to discover a little
bit more of my local lore, I

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dove into this incredible
opportunity with a book from one

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of my absolute favorite
researchers by the name of Chad

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Lewis, who went to college right
here in my new hometown of

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Menominee, Wisconsin at the
University of Wisconsin Stout.

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Well, without further ado,
everybody here is my

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presentation on Pepe the Monster
of Lake Pepin.

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See you on the other side.
Historical accounts.

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It is hard to say exactly what
the natives in the area

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specifically believed when it
came to the creature now known

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as Pepe, but due to native
accounts and stories being

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orally recorded, which commonly
creates opportunity for

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misinterpretation, lost the
context and details and tweaks

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to the information.
What we do know is that the

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local tribes of the Dakota and
the HO Chunk blamed any upturned

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canoe, missing hunter, or lost
child on the creature.

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They believed that it was evil
and went out of their way to

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stay clear of its presence.
It wasn't until the first

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settlers in the area arrived
that we began to see written

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accounts and descriptions of the
monster of Lake Pepin.

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In the years of 1679 and 1680,
French explorer Father Louis

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Hennepin embarked on an
expedition through the entirety

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of the Mississippi River under
the request of then King of

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France, Louis the 14th, who is
commonly referred to as Louis

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the Great.
Father Hennepin was specifically

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tasked with documenting the
unfamiliar fauna and flora that

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the Mississippi had to offer.
And when he arrived at the mouth

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of the Minnesota River, Hennepin
was shocked to witness what he

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described as a serpent quote as
big as a man's leg and seven or

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eight feet long.
Although this particular account

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cannot be tied directly to the
legend of Pepe, due to the

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Minnesota River only being a
tributary and the account not

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occurring directly in the
vicinity of the lake in

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question, it goes to show that
there were accounts that could

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be early descriptions of the
creature or others of its kind.

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According to Chad Lewis and Noah
Voss's book Pepe the Lake

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Monster of the Mississippi
River, the earliest account

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published in local newspaper was
in August of 1867 when a party

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of Saint Louis raftsman
encountered an unknown creature

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in the waters of the Pepin.
Although many sources will list

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an encounter from April of 1871
in which Giles Hyde and See

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Paige Bonnie claimed to have
spotted the creature somewhere

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in the water.
This is where we get the

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description of Pepe being
between the size of an and a

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rhinoceros.
A peculiar detail that is also

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added to this article is that
there was reference to other

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sightings that had taken place
prior, but there were

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unfortunately no details on
these.

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The last historical account
listed in Lewis and Voss's book

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was from July 14th of 1875 in
the Pierce County Herald

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newspaper, where there were not
just one but two reports of the

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creature in the waters of the
pep.

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The first only listed that the
creature was spotted in the the

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waters opposite of Lake City
with no real details to help us

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paint the picture of the scene.
But the second helped make up

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for the lack of detail as it
described how a man known as Mr.

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Hewitt and his two young boys
were moving their skiff from

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Lake City to Wakota when the
group witnessed a quote dark,

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strange looking object coming
out of the water to a height

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that the witness described as
about 6 feet.

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Once the creature protruded from
the water to his maximum height,

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they receded back into the water
and the group never saw it

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again.
Modern accounts in Lewis and

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Voss's book Pepe the Lake
Monster of the Mississippi

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River.
Lewis makes note of an account

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from Fall around the year of
1980, when a man by the name of

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Chuck Stone, while with his
children, embarked the jetty

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near Pepin Marina witnessed the
event that caught him completely

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off guard.
As the family was fishing, Chuck

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watched as a few birds flew low
over the top of the water when

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he observed a long creature come
directly out of the water,

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snatch one of the birds in its
open mouth, and descend back

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into the water without making a
sound.

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The event that only lasted a few
seconds would paint itself in

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his memory, and when asked about
his account in an interview with

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Lewis in 2014, Chuck described
the creature as being 10 to 12

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inches thick and moved in a way
that was completely unfamiliar

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to any fish that was known to
jump out of the water.

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The creature went directly up
and directly down without

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creating a large splash or any
noticeable sound.

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In 1983, Shelley Shambino and
her brother Adam took off for

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Lake Pepin to spend the day
water skiing.

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Little did she know that this
would be the last time she ever

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set foot in the waters of the
lake ever again.

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The mood of the day quickly
changed as Shelly, who was in

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the water at the time, began
yelling and screaming.

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Adam frantically helped the
sister into the boat as Shelly

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continued to cry and scream that
there was an enormous something

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in the water with her.
She would later describe the

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creature in interviews with the
Rochester Post Bulletin, Pioneer

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Press, and the TV show Monsters
and Mysteries in America, that

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what she saw was a creature that
was completely black and bigger

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than the boat that they were
using to pull each other that

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day.
It is her belief that her life

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was in danger at the moment, a
moment that would permanently

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change her view of Lake Pepin.
In October of 2009, local water

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tourism business owner Rodger
Garlitch witnessed the creature

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Bob its head up and down while
sticking out of the water.

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Prior to the incident, Rodger
would stop certain tours in the

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middle of the lake to allow for
tourists to take a dip if they

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wished.
That choice was quickly

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rescinded after his sighting, as
he now fears that it could be

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extremely dangerous if he were
to allow customers to swim under

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his watch.
Evidence.

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In the December 3rd, 1987
edition of the Duran Courier

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Wedge, a picture was published
which depicted what seemed to be

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a humped creature with a long
neck off the coast near Maiden

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Rock.
The anonymous photographer was

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apparently in the area to
capture pictures of Swans when

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this much different creature
arrived on the scene.

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Although the authenticity of
this photo is incredibly hard to

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validate, so is the proof that
it is a hoax.

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Lewis mentions in this chapter
of his book that there are many

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red flags surrounding this
particular picture, and I would

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highly encourage anyone
interested in the subject to

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read his book, as there's a very
good outline of issues that

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Lewis encountered when
researching this infamous photo.

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In August of 2004, a man by the
name of Steve Raymond snapped a

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picture of a large animal moving
along the top of the water as he

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and a friend were fishing from a
boat.

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The picture depicts what Raymond
claims to be a green creature

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with a yellowish underside
traversing through the men's

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position.
The photo has never been

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disproved and seems to show a
creature with a long neck and

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humped back.
It is Raymond's best description

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that the creature resembles the
mascot of the Sinclair gas

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stations, which would be a
Brontosaurus.

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On July 8th, 2009, an anonymous
motorist pulled over on the side

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of the road to take a picture of
what looked like a large

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creature swimming against the
current.

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In the summer of 2009, Larry
Nielsen pulled over on Hwy. 61

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in Lake City and snapped a
picture of something, creating a

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wake that looked as if it was
traveling against the current.

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He snapped one picture from the
side of the road before heading

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down to the shore to try to get
a better view, But when he

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arrived, whatever was making the
wake had disappeared.

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Larry would later OfferUp a
$50,000 reward to anyone who

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could prove the existence of
Pepe and uncover the mystery of

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its identity.
On Labor Day weekend in 2009,

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researcher Heidi Freer and a
crew, which consisted of

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cameramen and sonar operators
among some others, took off on

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an expedition to attempt to
prove the existence of Pepe.

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At the very beginning of the
search, the crew had a hit on

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the sonar equipment that
measured an object between 30

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and 35 feet that was not
stationary.

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Diver Corey Brawl suited up and
entered the water to attempt to

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confirm what the object was, but
to his dismay, whatever it was

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seemed to be interested in him
too.

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A close call with the object
left Brawl swirling in the water

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uncontrollably, while a video
recording seemed to capture a

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wave of activity from the view
of the boat.

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This video can be seen on the
Pepe episode of the TV show

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Monsters and Mysteries in
America, others in the

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Mississippi.
There have been sightings of

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water serpents in almost every
general portion of the

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Mississippi River at some point
in the history of humans

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traversing its waters, which
goes to show that whatever had

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00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,480
made its presence known in Lake
Pepin may not be alone.

227
00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:46,160
The year of 1877 was evidence
enough that river serpents were

228
00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:49,920
not only A cause of concern for
only one portion of the river.

229
00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,600
In September of 1877, along the
shores of Saint Genevieve,

230
00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,680
Missouri, a group of men
traversing the river witnessed

231
00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:02,080
what they described as a 75 foot
serpent laying out on a sandbar

232
00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,600
in the river.
The men took potshots at it with

233
00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,880
their pistols, which ultimately
seemed to not face the creature

234
00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:11,960
in the least bit.
Eventually the men watched as it

235
00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,200
lazily entered the water and
disappeared from their sight.

236
00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:20,680
Also in September, off the coast
of New Madrid, MO, a ferry was

237
00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:24,440
seemingly attacked by an at
first unseen force.

238
00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:29,160
The first time that the boat was
hit, one man fell overboard, and

239
00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:32,320
the second time it was described
that it felt as if the boat was

240
00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:35,520
completely lifted out of the
water before being dropped.

241
00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,560
Without the help of modern
flashlights, the men were able

242
00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,560
to make out the silhouette of an
an enormous creature that had a

243
00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:43,960
bill or snout shaped like a
Pelican.

244
00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,120
It was the belief of the man
that the tail of the beast was

245
00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,360
what had hit the boat.
The following month would bring

246
00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:52,720
a better description of the
creature by the Memphis

247
00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,400
Reveille.
The newspaper reported numerous

248
00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,440
sightings of the creature and
also described it as having a

249
00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:02,320
Pelican shaped bill, but added
that it also had a quote head

250
00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:05,840
like a bulldog, a slimy
Serpentine neck, and a body like

251
00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:08,520
a whale.
A few months later, in January

252
00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:12,760
of 1878, a whole crew of men
were traveling off the shore of

253
00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:17,240
Lake Providence, LA when a
thunderous splash caught all of

254
00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:20,520
their attentions.
Something was making a beeline

255
00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,400
directly towards the ship and it
was big.

256
00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,520
All but the two men who were
stuck on the top of the boat's

257
00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:31,120
roof took shelter inside.
The two men on the top of the

258
00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:34,520
boat, however, described what
they believed to be a 65 foot

259
00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:39,000
long snake shaped creature with
a long black tuff of what looked

260
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,640
like hair around its neck in the
shape of a mane.

261
00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,080
The creature was travelling with
its head sticking out eight feet

262
00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,600
above the water line and the
ripples of its tail were

263
00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,280
following at a distance of about
55 feet.

264
00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:55,360
This creature was also described
as having a bill or snout shaped

265
00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:59,360
like that of a Pelican.
Also in January of 1878, another

266
00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,720
encounter was listed in the
Perryville Union from the area

267
00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,880
of Perry, MO.
Another short article mentioned

268
00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:08,720
to creature matching other
descriptions from years prior

269
00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:13,680
from the vicinity of Muscatine,
IA in June of 1886.

270
00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,840
So what is it?
Obviously the biggest question

271
00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:22,400
to those that believe in not
only Pepe but lake monsters and

272
00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,320
sea serpents as a whole is of
course, what is it?

273
00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,360
And just like with any unknown
subject witnessed by someone,

274
00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,000
the answer lies within three
different possibilities.

275
00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:35,960
It is what the witnesses say it
is, and in this case an aquatic

276
00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:40,000
serpent, or it is something
other than what is reported.

277
00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,200
And of course there's the
possibility that the claim is

278
00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,480
false.
I want to look at the middle

279
00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,360
option first.
What if what people saw or

280
00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:52,280
seeing is something other than
what they believed Pepe to be?

281
00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:56,520
What if this was a really large
case of misidentification?

282
00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:58,680
What could be the blame for the
beast?

283
00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:00,720
Let's start with the water
itself.

284
00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,440
As is the case with many water
creatures from around the world,

285
00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:08,359
the most common explanation is
thrown into the mix by naysayers

286
00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,240
that it is all a trick of the
eye and the witness only saw a

287
00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,560
wave that they didn't quite
perceive correctly.

288
00:17:13,839 --> 00:17:16,960
I can see this being a slight
possibility, but probably find

289
00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,839
this to only possibly be the
answer on a case by case basis.

290
00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,119
So I'll knock off a few
sightings here and there with

291
00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:25,760
this explanation that it was
just a weird wave.

292
00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:28,960
I personally think that we can
knock off a few more if we

293
00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:32,560
include inanimate objects such
as a tree limb or a piece of

294
00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:36,000
debris, but yet again, I don't
think that this fills in all the

295
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:40,120
holes and can only explain away
a handful of sightings at best.

296
00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,640
What about another form of
misidentification?

297
00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,680
What about another animal?
With the specific area around

298
00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:50,360
Lake Pepin housing an amazing
number of animals, most that can

299
00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:53,480
in some way, shape or form
create a situation that could

300
00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,120
trick the eye into thinking it
saw a water serpent.

301
00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,200
It's not hard to believe that a
decent handful of sightings of

302
00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:02,720
Pepe could be accounts for
misidentification of another

303
00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,520
living critter.
Semi aquatic animals such as

304
00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:09,240
otters, Beavers, ducks, snakes
and muskrats all call this area

305
00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:12,720
home and all create wakes in the
water that could be perceived as

306
00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:16,160
coming from an unknown source.
But yet again, we find that not

307
00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:18,840
all of these creatures can be to
blame for some of the more

308
00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,560
intriguing sightings.
Such as someone witnessing a

309
00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:25,160
long thin creature lifting out
of the water to snag a bird in

310
00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,400
mid flight, or a six foot neck
and a head swimming when

311
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,760
thrashing a bow.
Yes, many species of duck, geese

312
00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:35,040
and Swans all have long curved
necks, but the size of these

313
00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:37,360
animals don't match the
descriptions of Pepe.

314
00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:39,520
And what about animals under the
water?

315
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,040
Lake Pepin is home to over 120
different species of fish, some

316
00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:45,520
of which can get pretty darn
big.

317
00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,880
A few examples of fish that
could be misidentified as a

318
00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,280
large lake monster, if you from
above, are the blue catfish,

319
00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,480
northern Pike, and of course the
most commonly blamed fish for

320
00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,400
water monster sightings, the
lake sturgeon, which have been

321
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,360
recorded coming from the waters
of Minnesota and Wisconsin over

322
00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:04,600
the length of seven feet and
weighing over 200 lbs.

323
00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:08,160
Another set of animals that
could be misidentified if seen

324
00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,880
from above are snakes and eels.
Both the bull snake and the

325
00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,680
American eel can be found in and
around Lake Pepin, and both

326
00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,840
species have been known to be
upwards of 6 feet in some cases,

327
00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:22,560
but the problem here wouldn't
necessarily be the length of the

328
00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:26,560
animals, but rather the girth.
Many reports of Pepe claim that

329
00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:30,200
the animal's seen, or at least
the animal's neck, is somewhere

330
00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:32,480
in the ballpark with foot and
circumference.

331
00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:35,600
This is obviously never going to
be matched by a more than

332
00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:39,680
American snake or eel,
especially at only 6 feet long

333
00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:42,760
and it's Max.
So yet again, the animals we see

334
00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,240
in both above and below the
surface of water.

335
00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:47,840
I would have to say that yes,
many of the sightings of Pepe

336
00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,680
throughout history could be
perceived as being a water

337
00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,960
serpent of sorts, but we still
cannot match a good bulk of the

338
00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,920
stranger ports that seem to
match not only the creature's

339
00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:00,920
typical description, but also do
so through a period of well over

340
00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,640
150 years.
OK.

341
00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:05,880
Now let's talk about the first
option.

342
00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:09,520
What if Pepe is what people are
saying it is?

343
00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,640
What if it is a lake monster?
What kind of Cryptid would it

344
00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:15,040
be?
Well, there are many people who

345
00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,280
would quickly jump on the
plesiosaur train as the answer

346
00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,800
to the Pepe mystery, as do many
people when it comes to Nessie.

347
00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:26,120
But the plesiosaur was a lung
breathing creature and therefore

348
00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:29,160
needed to break the surface of
the water, often in order to

349
00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:32,200
breathe.
If Pepe or even the Loch Ness

350
00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:36,840
Monster was a plesiosaur or any
other lung breeding animal, we

351
00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,520
would have much more evidence of
its existence.

352
00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:43,080
In fact, due to the champion of
the breath holders among the

353
00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,960
lung breeders, the caviers beat
whale who can hold his breath

354
00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,760
for up to three hours any other
of its kind would have to vastly

355
00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:54,480
surpass that time in order to
uphold this amount of secrecy.

356
00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,240
But what if the Cryptid that we
are looking for isn't one from

357
00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:00,400
the past, but rather a new
species altogether?

358
00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:04,800
In the early ages of
cryptozoology, a Dutch zoologist

359
00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:10,520
named AC Odsmans classified a
new type of long neck seal that

360
00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:12,560
he believed could be the answer
to the mystery.

361
00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:16,720
Odmans named it Megophius
megophius with a simple common

362
00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:20,960
name of long neck.
This would later be built upon

363
00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:24,800
by the father of cryptozoology
himself, Bernard Wavelmans,

364
00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:29,080
where the zoological or
cryptozoological classification,

365
00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:33,200
if you will, was gifted the
taxonomical title Megalatoria

366
00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:37,440
logicalis, more commonly
referred to simply as the Mer

367
00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,400
horse.
Both cryptozoological creatures

368
00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,240
were then later combined as
individual subcategories in the

369
00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:48,440
Coleman Hugh classification
system of sea serpents and lake

370
00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:52,040
monsters into a primary category
of the water horse.

371
00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:56,000
In the now commonly used
Champagne system, the water

372
00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:00,160
horse is classified as either a
long neck sea serpent one or a

373
00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:04,400
long neck sea serpent two, both
of which are described as long

374
00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:07,920
neck pinnipeds.
More commonly known as seals.

375
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:11,680
These water horses are the best
explanation for what the

376
00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:15,760
phenomenon of the lake monster
actually is, that being a

377
00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:19,880
completely new species that may
have habits and an anatomy that

378
00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:23,960
is unfamiliar to modern science.
For example, these creatures may

379
00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,520
fight or create their own
underwater caverns of sorts in

380
00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,520
which they prefer to live
within, or possibly have a

381
00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:34,200
biological mechanism that allows
them to pull oxygen out of the

382
00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,320
water other than the gills that
are seen in fish, which would

383
00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:40,880
help them stay hidden.
Some will make the argument that

384
00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:44,320
the likes of animals such as
Pepe, Nessie and Champ are of

385
00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,400
another classification in the
Champagne system known as the

386
00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:51,160
Multiple Humped Sea Serpent,
which is described as a possible

387
00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,120
reptile.
The issue here is that if these

388
00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:57,000
creatures were reptiles, then
they most likely would not be

389
00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,920
able to survive a winter like
that of Wisconsin or Minnesota.

390
00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:02,640
Now we got to dive into the
third option.

391
00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:07,280
What if the people are claiming
false events, otherwise known as

392
00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,040
hoaxes?
I believe that this is as tough

393
00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:12,960
of an option to explain as any
other, to be honest.

394
00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:16,600
On one hand, in modern times we
have many different forms of

395
00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:20,080
technology that we use on a
daily basis and to think that

396
00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,760
something living in a specific
area such as Lake Pepin would

397
00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,720
have been found by now.
The Department of Natural

398
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:30,640
Resources constantly looks for
invasive species and monitors

399
00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,760
such species as well as many
others.

400
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,280
The technology used to do so
would be the same technology

401
00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,520
that would capture proof of the
creature that we know as Pepi.

402
00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:43,680
Unless Pepe wields incredible
intelligence that far surpasses

403
00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:47,000
every other animal in the world
not called mankind, then the

404
00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:51,560
animal would most likely have no
idea what a camera, hydrophone

405
00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,800
or the technology in sonar is
and therefore would not notice

406
00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,240
stand clear such devices.
Every other animal in the water

407
00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:03,120
seems to be completely oblivious
to being watched at all times,

408
00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:06,400
so I can personally see how some
would feel that the creature

409
00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,200
could be a hoax.
Another layer to add is that the

410
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,440
local businesses in the area
would benefit from having an

411
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,440
attraction in their lake like
that at Pepe.

412
00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,840
Looking at the tourism that
places like Loch Ness or Lake

413
00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:21,240
Champlain attracts and you can
easily see why many of the

414
00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,080
locals who own businesses may
have their own sightings of the

415
00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,840
creature.
But how does any of this explain

416
00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,080
the native stories about an
incredibly dangerous animal

417
00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,120
living in the waters of Lake
Pepin?

418
00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,080
Well, it doesn't.
But what natives did have built

419
00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:38,640
into many of their stories and
lore is the idea that we are

420
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:42,160
familiar with today, which takes
the form of a sort of boogeyman,

421
00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,680
a story that is told in order to
dissuade anybody from the area

422
00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,840
that they thought was dangerous.
Now, to be clear, I do not

423
00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:50,720
necessarily believe this to be
the case.

424
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,440
When talking about the natives
of the area of Lake Pepin and

425
00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:56,280
the mysterious creature talked
about in their time, I am simply

426
00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:58,000
reporting on ideas with
evidence.

427
00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,480
I do, however, believe that the
best evidence of the creature's

428
00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:05,200
existence at a specific point in
history lies in the period of

429
00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,160
the first settlers.
During this period there were

430
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,560
more than a few mentions of an
unknown creature thrashing

431
00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:14,600
around in the Lake Pepinaria.
This helps build the beliefs

432
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,040
that the natives were talking
about a real life animal and

433
00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:20,280
their stories and warnings, and
also helps me believe that maybe

434
00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:23,360
some of the more modern
sightings may hold at least a

435
00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:25,760
little bit of weight.
In the times of the first

436
00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,320
settlers, it was extremely
important to maintain your

437
00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:30,840
honesty about everything and
anything in your life.

438
00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,320
This concept was held dear due
to preserving your reputation,

439
00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,680
which meant a whole lot more
than it does now.

440
00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:39,840
In a modern world where most
people wouldn't trust a

441
00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:43,000
politician to babysit their
goldfish, a person's word was

442
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,360
tied directly to their
trustworthiness, to the

443
00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:48,720
population and directly
reflected their popularity and

444
00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:51,920
value within their communities.
So the historical journal

445
00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,320
entries that explain the
sightings of a strange hulking

446
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,720
serpent in the water of the area
helps me swallow the Pepe pill

447
00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,360
when it comes to a creature at
least at one time living in the

448
00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:04,560
water of Lake Pepin.
But then again, what if these

449
00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,520
were also just another case of
misidentification?

450
00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:13,200
Honestly, we will never know
unless someone were to claim the

451
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,720
$50,000 reward that is still
offered to this day for the

452
00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:20,960
proof of the creature.
But how?

453
00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,600
I would like to revisit 2 of the
previous points made briefly

454
00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:26,640
before we close out this
presentation.

455
00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:30,200
The questions were asked if Pepe
could possibly be a known or

456
00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,280
unknown animal.
So let's say that one of these

457
00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:35,560
are true.
But either way, the animal that

458
00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:38,080
is seen in Lake Pepin is not
something that would normally

459
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:40,680
call the place home.
How would it get there?

460
00:26:41,120 --> 00:26:46,920
Well, on January 24th of 2008, a
5 foot female bull shark was

461
00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:50,120
captured under the frozen
surface of the lake by divers

462
00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:53,600
working with Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources.

463
00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,720
The animal was tagged and
released back into the frigid

464
00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,480
water.
But how did this shark that is

465
00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:03,360
normally found in warm, shallow
saltwaters all around the world

466
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:05,760
find its way all the way to Lake
Pepin?

467
00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,720
Well, the truth is that the bull
shark have been spotted in many

468
00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:12,640
places that would not be
considered as quote UN quote

469
00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:14,920
home for them.
But these animals have been

470
00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:18,440
found to not just live in
saltwater, but also in brackish

471
00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,720
and freshwater rivers connected
in some way to the ocean.

472
00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:25,760
I look at this as proof that the
roughly 50 locks and dams that

473
00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:30,160
span the 2348 miles of the
Mississippi River will not be

474
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,040
what stops an animal from
getting from the Gulf of Mexico

475
00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:35,720
to Lake Pepin.
I say this as there are

476
00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,560
unfortunately many different
sources out there that claim

477
00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:42,600
this to be impossible, and
obviously it is not due to this

478
00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:45,920
lone bull shark.
And this is only one example.

479
00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:50,120
Not only did this example prove
the existence of one shark in

480
00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:53,520
the waters of Lake Pepin, but
also brought the earlier

481
00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:57,480
discovery of three shark teeth
in the nearby Minnehaha Creek in

482
00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:02,200
the outskirts of Minneapolis, MN
almost an hour to the northwest

483
00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:06,920
of Lake Pepin on March 26th.
The same year the DNR of

484
00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:10,520
Minnesota took the evidence of
the living shark in January and

485
00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:13,240
the teeth in the Creek to begin
an investigation.

486
00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,800
Surely enough, there were two
juvenile sharks that were

487
00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,200
ultimately transported to the
Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley

488
00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:22,560
where they were named Lenny and
Frankie.

489
00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,520
This was not a one off set of
events.

490
00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,280
The first documented bull shark
captured in the Mississippi

491
00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:32,840
River happened in September of
1937 in Alton, IL, but this

492
00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:36,000
would not be the last, as there
have been a handful of counts

493
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:42,480
since north of Saint Louis in
the very early ages of the

494
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:45,320
United States, many different
bodies of water throughout this

495
00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:48,040
land were thought to be the
homes of mysterious creatures.

496
00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,880
Many were described as eel,
whale, fish, or serpent like.

497
00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:54,480
But many of these accounts
quickly vanished in the early

498
00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:58,360
1900s, with only a handful of
them surviving until today.

499
00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:02,040
Pepe being one of those
accounts, but unfortunately lost

500
00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,960
clout in the community of
researchers and enthusiasts.

501
00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:08,440
When compared to the likes of
Champ of Lake Champlain, Bessie

502
00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:12,440
of Lake Erie, Normie of Lake
Norman in North Carolina, and

503
00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,840
Whitey of the White River in
Arkansas, all of which are found

504
00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,880
strictly within the borders of
the United States, this list

505
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,840
grows exponentially. 1 stepping
into other parts of the world.

506
00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:26,200
So it's easy to see why the
story of Pepe may get covered up

507
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:28,800
by the plethora of others that
are said to roam their very

508
00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:31,280
waters.
The evidence of this creature's

509
00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,520
existence, whether it still
exists or not, is there.

510
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:39,280
It is tangible that Pepe had, at
least at one time in history,

511
00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,440
donned the waters of the
Mississippi and Lake Pepe.

512
00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:46,000
I found this particular creature
incredibly interesting, mostly

513
00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,480
due to my family and I moving to
western Wisconsin, where I find

514
00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,280
myself within an hour of this
storied lake monster.

515
00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,040
Who knows?
Maybe one day my family and I

516
00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,840
will take a trip to the area to
spend some quality time together

517
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:01,440
in the mild summer of the
northern Midwest.

518
00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,080
My sons and I could toss a line
in the waters of this storied

519
00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:08,320
lake in hopes of that walleye
that keeps growing with every

520
00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,400
occasion, which gets talked
about while my wife and daughter

521
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,640
shop and eat lunch on the
Wisconsin shore.

522
00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:18,080
Maybe, just maybe, I've done
enough to convince a young

523
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:20,000
listener to follow her
curiosity.

524
00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:23,720
And maybe it will be Scarlett
who will lay her eyes on history

525
00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:27,520
and find herself in the presence
of Pepe the Monster of Lake

526
00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:38,820
Pepin.
That is my coverage of Pepe the

527
00:30:38,900 --> 00:30:42,700
Lake Monster of Lake Pepin and I
would like to say thank you one

528
00:30:42,700 --> 00:30:45,260
more time.
To one of my absolute biggest

529
00:30:45,260 --> 00:30:49,060
fans, Scarlett, thank you for
recommending a water monster.

530
00:30:49,060 --> 00:30:51,900
I really do appreciate that.
I hope you enjoyed this.

531
00:30:52,180 --> 00:30:57,160
This was an absolute pleasure to
do and I love to hear that you

532
00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:01,240
are enjoying the show.
Until next time travellers, I'll

533
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:05,400
see you in the next fork of The
Path of the Infinite Rabbit

534
00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:06,760
Hole.
Goodbye.

535
00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:13,480
I would like to thank you once
again for tuning into the

536
00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,880
Infinite Rabbit Hole Podcast.
Please make sure to give us a

537
00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,440
follow in one of those beautiful
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538
00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:24,000
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If you would like to join the

539
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,440
conversation and stay up to date
on all things infinite rabbit

540
00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:30,560
hole, head on over to Facebook
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541
00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:33,960
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You'll know it's us when you see

542
00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,240
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If you would like to help

543
00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:39,040
contribute to the 'cause, there
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544
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First, head on over to anchor
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Rabbit hole and click on the
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546
00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:50,840
month you'll get access to all
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547
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never see the free spotlight
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548
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:56,440
It's horrible stuff, but if
you're into that kind of thing

549
00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:00,120
and go check that.
Second, head on over to

550
00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:03,960
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551
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:07,720
grab yourself a sweet T-shirt,
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552
00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:12,360
that you wouldn't mind on.
Until next time, travellers, I'm

553
00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:15,720
Jeremy and I'll see you with the
next fork in the path of the

554
00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:17,400
Infinite rabbit hole.
This line represents the time as

555
00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:19,680
of 1980.
Five Future Past.

556
00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:30,760
We're prior to this point in
time somewhere in the past.

557
00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:36,360
The timeline into this cancel
creating an alternate 1985

558
00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:42,600
alternate near Einstein.