Proof The Loch Ness Monster Exists? New Picture Surfaces From 'Nessie Hunter'

After almost three decades of searching for the Loch Ness monster, George Edwards thinks he's finally had a breakthrough. Edwards, who captains a Nessie-themed cruise boat on Loch Ness, released a photo to the public Friday of what he claims is further proof that the beast really exists. Find the picture by clicking here.

Edwards was out on Loch Ness, located in the highlands of Scotland, and saw movement in the water near his boat, according to the New York Daily News. He watched as a mysterious beast swam around for about five to 10 minutes before dipping below the surface. Even though Edwards claimed to have waited another half an hour or so, the supposed Loch Ness monster didn't return to the surface.

Edwards told the Inverness Courier that after the beast went underwater, he tried scanning the area with sonar, but had no luck. He also claimed to have taken the picture last November, but held off on releasing it to the public until officials declared it looked legitimate.

"I did not want to mention my sighting until I was sure I had not photographed a log or something inanimate in the water," Edwards said. "I have friends in the USA who have friends in the military. ... They had my photo analyzed and have no doubt I photographed an animate object in the water."

Edwards also told the Courier, "I was really excited as I am sure that some strange creatures are lurking in the depths of Loch Ness." Another expert on the Loch Ness monster said Edwards' photos were the highest quality he'd ever seen and claimed there's no doubt it's not a sturgeon because of the creature's hump.

Edwards speculated that when he took the picture, the beast might have been up to half a mile away. However, he was not certain because determining distance by water can be difficult. The skipper said he searched for the Loch Ness monster for as many as 60 hours a week.

Perhaps the most famous image of the legendary monster was taken in 1934. The grainy black-and-white picture was long thought to be the best photographic proof that Nessie exists, although it was later determined that the picture was just a depiction of a man's arm and clenched fist coming out of the water.

Meanwhile, Edwards told the Telegraph that the first sighting of the Loch Ness monster was recorded in 565.