A new movie, slated for release on December 25, is resurrecting talk of a possible monster lurking in Scotland’s fabled Loch Ness. The fictional drama portrays an animal that is kinder than the reptile-like monster reported in most sightings. The fanciful animal resembles a horse yet hatches from an egg. The title, The Water Horse, is taken from a horse in Celtic mythology that lived on land and sea.

Could such a creature be alive today in the loch? It is likely that some large, sea-dwelling reptiles survived Noah’s Flood (ca. 4350 years ago), but the survival of such a creature at Loch Ness stretches credulity. The lake has been repeatedly studied by sonar and other instruments.