Okanagan Lake, British Columbia - Shy sea serpant or publicity stunt? Many maintain there's something strange cruising this 110 km (68 mi) lake that links Penticton, Kelowna and Vernon. The first report of Ogopogo, the Sea Serpent of Okanagan Lake, was in 1872, pre-dating recorded sightings of the Loch Ness Monster by more than 60 years. He was known as N'HA-A-ITK or 'Lake Demon' to the Okanagan First Nations people who drew him on pictographs and made sacrafices to him. From an 8-mm film taken in 1968, he's thought to be 1 to 2 ft in diameter and 15 to 50 ft long, and dark green with a horse-like head. Ogopogo remains an elusive critter. ABC-TV travelled here to try to capture him on film and the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has in the past offered thousands of dollars for the best photograph of the creature. Author Arlene Gaal has suggested good spots for sightings are the Okanagan Lake bridge area around noon, and from around Peachland and the Okanagan Centre in the late afternoon.

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