Ogopogo Facts

From time immemorial -Natives tell tales of Ogopogo to their children.

Mid-1800's -First reported sighting by a white settler.

1926 -B.C. Authorities consider arming lake ferries to protect them from the monster. They were never able to decide what kind of weapon to use.

1968 -Art Folden shoots film of Ogopogo.

1976 -Beneath The Depths, a book about Ogopogo by Arlene Gaal, was published and incited interest from far away people and places.

July, 1989 -Ken and Clem Chaplin of Salmon Arm capture Ogopogo on video.

August, 1989 -Kelowna city council wants to ensure that Ogopogo is protected.

"Council is concerned that some person or persons would do something that would endanger this particular phenomenon in our lake by some senseless act," said Mayor Jim Stuart.

August 1989 -Petition is started by Taurie Atchison stating that Ogopogo should be allowed to swim freely through the lake and can be "observed, photographed or videotaped from a reasonable distance by boat, on land, or from the air."

September, 1989 -Environment Minister Bruce Strachan writes the mayor saying he is prepared to present an order-in-council to designate Ogopogo as wildlife.

"Under the Wildlife Act, we can prohibit any person from capturing, killing or even harassing the creature," a civil servant wrote from Ottawa.

1989 -Ogopogo makes the front pages of Time and Newsweek.

November, 1989 -Ogopogo becomes an Unsolved Mystery.

February 1990 -Local wildlife naturalist Scott Alexander says Ogopogo is a hoax.

July, 1990 -Japanese TV crews search waters off Rattlesnake Island to no avail.

October, 1990 -Ogopogo is featured on a stamp series published by Canada Post.

March 1991 -Tokyo's Nippon TV launches an 11 day search for Ogopogo.

November 1992 -The New York Times runs a story about Ogopogo after interviewing Arlene Gaal in October.

January 1993 -Inside Edition comes to Kelowna for story.