Is this the latest Nessie sighting? Hunter spots '18ft-long' black shape in Loch Ness as searches for the mythical monster continue

Is it a bird? Is it a fish? Could it even be...the latest sighting of Nessie?

A monster hunter from County Donegal spotted a dark black shape in the world famous loch - and he believes it is the mythical Nessie.

Eoin O'Faodhagain, 59, said his 'heart jumped' upon seeing a mysterious '18 foot' blob emerge to the surface of the water.

The Irishman, who regularly goes online to watch the lake via a webcam located near Urquhart Castle, thinks he has seen the Loch Ness Monster.

'I noticed a spot in the water causing a disturbance at the edge of the webcam screen to the right,' he said.

'My heart jumped because I thought this disturbance was not the norm.'

Monster hunter Eoin O'Faodhagain believes he may have spotted the Loch Ness Monster via a webcam located on the western shore of the loch (pictured)

The 59-year-old said his 'heart jumped' when he saw the dark shape - which he believes to be 18 feet long - emerge to the surface (pictured: Loch Ness)

Upon investigating the footage further, Eoin explained that the mysterious object in the water only got 'bigger and longer'.. 

Estimating the disturbance on the surface of the water to be around 18 feet in length, the monster hunter added: 

'I examined the footage and I am convinced it is not a surface vessel of any kind, because it keeps changing its appearance.

'The sighting of the object in the water is quite distinct, because the surrounding surface water is calm.' 

'That in itself puts it into the realm of Nessie - but it needs further analysis.' 

Describing the find as 'unusual', he continued: 'There are no known creatures in Loch Ness that size. It could be the Loch Ness Monster.'

The first sighting of the supposed Loch Ness Monster was recorded in November 1933.

However the Nessie mystery could date as far back as 565AD, when Irish missionary Saint Columba was recorded to have encountered a strange water monster in the River Ness, which feeds the famous loch.

According to his centuries-old biography, the water beast had slain one man and attacked another when it fled in terror after Saint Columba made the sign of the cross and ordered it back. 

However, in the present day Mr O'Faodhagain isn't too frightened of the rumoured beast.

He regularly logs into a webcam maintained by Mikko Takala from Ness on the Net to keenly watch the loch from his home in Ireland.

Over the years, he’s racked up multiple entries in the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register. 

However due to recent restrictions on webcam sightings, his most recent findings have been off the record. 

Examining the clip 'unusual' further, the Irishman said the dark shape only became longer and bigger

The Irishman will be heading across the sea to Scottish shores in August in a bid to even see the Loch Ness Monster in person during The Quest weekend 2024. 

This latest comes shortly after the Loch Ness Centre in the Highlands asked NASA to lend its expertise in a fresh hunt for the supposed creature. 

'We are hoping that experts from NASA might have some advanced imaging technology to scan the loch,' said Aimee Todd, marketing manager for the Loch Ness Centre.

'We would have to sit down and talk to them about how to get it here.'

The latest search will take place on the 90th anniversary of the first organised surface watch of Loch Ness: Sir Edward Mountain's expedition, from May 30 to June 2. 

Since that first expedition in 1934, the Watchers of the Monster, there have been over 1,156 sightings of the beast on the official Loch Ness Monster sightings register.

Last year, the newly revamped Loch Ness Centre partnered with Loch Ness Exploration (LNE), an independent and voluntary research team, together with hundreds of in-person and virtual volunteers to search the famous waters of Loch Ness.

The search concluded with a hydrophone capturing loud underwater noises and several potential sightings.