THE OKANAGAN LAKE MONSTER

The following is a list of sightings of the large creature which is known to dwell in the Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada.

There have been literally hundreds of sightings of Ogopogo over the years. Many of these sightings were by reputable citizens and some have been quite spectacular in nature.

White Canadians dubbed the creature "Ogopogo" after a 1930's comic song. The writer prefers the Okanakane Indian name which they have used for centuries. "Naitaka"

1700's : The Okanakane Indians made a huge dugout canoe with a carving of Naitaka, the water god on its prow. ( source, Mrs. Louise Gilbert who is an Okanakane Indian).

1860 : White settlers in the Okanagan valley saw the monster Naitaka and patrolled the water's edge at Mission Creek with rifles in case the creature was dangerous. The Okanakane Indians told the whites that the Indians always dropped a small animal into the water as a sacrifice to Naitaka, when crossing the lake.

1867 : Mrs. John Fall (Susan Louisa Moir) Allison is told frightening tales about Naitaka by the Indians.

1870 : White settlers waiting to have their grain ground into flour at Frederick Brent's Mill discuss several recent sightings of Naitaka.

1873 : Mrs. Allison, while riding the trail from her husbands ranch to Allison (now Princeton, West Bank) met Indians who told her that they had just seen Naitaka on the surface of the lake, at Squally Point, on the big bend of Okanagan Lake.

1874 : Mrs. Allison saw Naitaka for herself (after a storm) sunning himself on the surface of the lake. Thomas Smitheram, a mining superintendent, saw Naitaka from the opposite side of the lake at the same time as Mrs. Allison.

1886 : An elderly Scot visiting Ewing's Landing is greatly disturbed by what he saw on the lake, and told his tale of "a moving log" that moved faster then he could row, to Richard Wellington Neil.

1888 : Alfred Postill saw Naitaka swimming on the surface of the lake while he was building a raft to transport lumber from the family sawmill near Duck Lake, Kelowna to Penticton.

1890 : At Squally point, Captain Thomas Shorts on the steamer "Jubilee" sees a creature about fifteen feet in length with a head like a sheep. It sank out of sight after a few minutes.