...Tourist

Cameraman Michael Tabori, alerted to something to his side, turned around to film a long object floating in the water. Gerry Frederick, manager of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce (an organization that has nothing against this type of Ogie attention) was on the boat and described it as "like a snake with humps."

"The crew went back out and filmed waves in slow motion to make sure that this action couldn't be caused by waves," Frederick said. "It just hung out there for three or four minutes, about 10 to 17 meters (33 to 60 feet) long. It came about six inches (15 centimeters) out of the water."

The Star watched local television station CHBC's copy of the ABC film ...and watched, and watched, and reports conclusively there was something in the water.

The humps were not visible on the tape, but Frederick scoffs at any suggestion the film might have been of a log.

Blow-up of film

Besides, ABC, when it airs the film late this month, will blow up the film making it much clearer than the local film available.

"There's no question tourism can benefit from this." Frederick says. "But to those people who say I set this all up, I ask, how do you do that?"

"I'd like to be that smart, but I'm not. "There is something there ...it's a fact of life."

The chamber of commerce is offering $10,000 for anyone who can capture Ogie alive, with a rod and reel. And, oh yes, they must keep it alive until a marine biologist can be flown in from Vancouver to verify the capture.

They plan to offer money next year for the best photo of Ogopogo. The Lake Okanagan Resort will build an Ogopogo viewing station next year.

Kelowna resident Arlene Gaal, who spent 14 years chronicling sightings back to 1860 for her book, Ogopogo, says many lakes in Canada claim a sea monster, but Ogie leads in media coverage because of the quality and number of sightings.

Ogopogo a star again - this time on U.S. TV

Ogopogo is back on TV.

An American Broadcasting Corporation television crew from Los Angeles is in Kelowna today filming an episode for a new series called Secrets and Mysteries.

The crew hopes to complete all the filming today.

Veteran Ogopogo-watcher Arlene Gaal has a full itinerary of interviews and filmings of sighting spots lined up.

The crew began with a boat trip on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Princess, which included a visit to Rattlesnake Island, the monster's legendary home.

"They will be taking various shots of Lake Okanagan, zeroing in on areas of sightings."

Representatives from the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce will accompany the four to five-man crew on the trip.

This will be the third major film about the monster.

Alan Lansbury Productions of Los Angeles made a film in 1977 and Yorkshire Television of Yorkshire, England made an episode of Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World on it in 1980.