The famed, "Lake Tahoe Monster," stuck its head above water off Tahoe City early this week. A runner on the Commons Beach was heard to shout,"There's Tessie!!"

A small packet of runners and walkers gathered, staring out into the mist, fingers pointing. Most were unfamiliar with the monster. All were intrigued, however. Tessie seemed to enjoy the attention, as she stuck around and rotated her head to take in the whole scene. (See picture with arrow).


Some observers on the Commons this week thought that "Tessie" was merely a buoy; others figured it was a stalwart swimmer braving the winter water; still others whispered that it looked like the legendary monster only rarely seen at Lake Tahoe.

Sighting in 2005
Two years ago Tessie was spotted by a Sacramento couple. They saw "a solid shape in the water with five humps along its back." The sighting occurred off Tahoe Park beach, next to Sunnyside, adding evidence that Tessie may, indeed, call West Shore waters home. This sighting was reported in the Tahoe Daily Tribune on April 29, 2005.



USOs: Unidentified Swimming Objects
Dr. Charles Goldman, a long-time observer and speaker on the waters of Lake Tahoe, told people attending a Palisades Tahoe Institute meeting in January 2004 that a number of scientists testified at a conference 20 years earlier in Reno that they had seen Tessie. The conference was on USOs: Unidentified Swimming Objects.

Goldman, a professor at UCD, who has a home on the North Shore, went on to say that all the sightings of Tessie shared one characteristic: No one had ever reported seeing the monster's head or tail. This could change now, given the morning sighting of Tessie's head (and neck) near Tahoe City Commons.

Editor's Note: The picture near the top with the arrow was taken by an off-duty bartender as Tessie gazed at the Commons. The image, allegedly, is of the very top of Tessie's head.