Bessie...could it be the Nessie of Lake Erie? That’s what many people seem to think. There have been tons of sightings of this thing, with an unfortunate lack of evidence for it. It’s very enticing to think there’s some mysterious lake monster lurking in those waters, but the answer is much simpler than that. Don’t let this revelation disappoint you, however — I, for one, think that the alternative is just as interesting…
Bessie is elusive but described as being a serpentine beast 15′-40′ in length, equipped with arm-like fins, and usually silver or bronze in color. Given the range of description here, we can come to the conclusion that Bessie is not just one, but that there are in fact many of these creatures roaming Lake Erie. These descriptions actually describe another creature that is already well known: the lake sturgeon.
Lake sturgeon are actually pretty amazing creatures; for one, it’s known these days that lake sturgeon can live up to 150 years, and they don’t ever stop growing. This leads to some pretty large creatures, up to over 300lbs and over 2 meters in length! These things are prehistoric too; you know of the megalodon? If not, you really should look into that thing, it was ginormous. Imagine just how old and large the lake sturgeon could get before the lakes were all mucked up and broken up by dams. They also look pretty unique in that they have some sweet bone-plate armor protecting their backs, it’s the perfect spell for a lake monster sighting.
The evidence doesn’t stop there either. You might think to ask “well, isn’t Bessie a Lake Erie creature? Sturgeon are found all over the Great Lakes, and then some, so why isn’t Bessie spotted elsewhere?”, and that would be a good question; one I already asked myself, as you can see. Although I couldn’t find a map of lake sturgeon population density, I have learned that lake sturgeon tend to stick to waters that are anywhere between 15′-65′ deep, and when taking a look at a map of the Great Lakes and their overall depths, Lake Erie is the most shallow of the Great Lakes, which could easily account for a higher count in sturgeon sightings both in that they would be forced to dwell closer to the surface, and that they are likely more populous in that area since that fits within the parameters of their preferred habitat anyways. Besides, Bessie isn't the only sea serpent rumored to lurk the Great Lakes, so I'm sure any one of those could fit in the same box.
Lastly, lake sturgeon are also known to “dance” above the water. This is apparently usually done in an attempt to shake off the invasive lampreys roaming in the lakes, and I can imagine that this would be quite a startling sight, especially to someone who is not very familiar with the lakes and the life within, and from a distance, it might even look like part of a sea serpent swimming close to the surface.
I myself have visited Lake Erie, although it was brief, and I therefore never got the privilege to view one of these beastly prehistoric creatures myself, although now I would really love to. Unfortunately, their habitat is not in great shape, so who knows how much longer we’ll have the opportunity to? It’s a harsh reminder of how amazing and yet delicate this planet can be, and how its abundant resources have been taken for granted.
My foray into the world of the cryptid known by many today as Bessie didn’t quite turn out to be as exciting and mysterious as I had hoped for it to be, but it was an important lesson indeed. In fact, there’s much more I haven’t touched on this subject, namely that the lake sturgeon have been an incredibly important part of Anishinaubae culture for ages. I've found that there can be quite the shaky line between what's known as a cryptid and what may also be known as a sacred creature to another culture; one that has been repressed on it's own native land, and I think that it’s really important to try and distinguish the two and respect that boundary.
There’s unfortunately no going back in time to fix this, but I think it’s important to remember that there are many things that are taken for granted today that continue to have a major effect on the world around us — all people deserve the respect of being acknowledged, and that’s something that needs to be done if ever we’re going to move forward and grow positively as a society. This is something I would like to keep in close consideration moving forward, and I’ll do what I can to stay respectful to other cultures I know nothing of.
In conclusion, as I’m not a part of any of the Anishinaubae groups, I’m certainly not the best source on this topic, but in my research, I’ve found Basil Johnston’s book, “The Manitous: The Spiritual World of the Ojibway'' to be very insightful. He has written several books on Ojibway culture — this information being otherwise difficult to find, even in the age of the internet — and considering he was raised on an Ojibway reservation, I find that his voice on the matter is going to be much better suited than my own, so I highly encourage you to check out his books for yourself for more insight on this topic, and should any of you, my dear readers, have any additional resources or insight to share, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.
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