Vermont Protects Lake Monster by LAW - $500 Fine for Harming Champ

Did you know that Vermont actually [music] protects a lake monster by law with a $500 fine for anyone who harms it? Deep in Lake Champlain between Vermont and New York lives Champ, a legendary serpent that's been spotted over 300 times. The Abenaki people called it Tatoskok and told stories about this creature for centuries before any Europeans arrived. In 1609, explorer [music] Samuel de Champlain himself saw something so strange in these waters that the creature now bears his name. But the most famous proof came in 1977 when Sandra Mansi snapped a photo showing a long neck and head rising from the lake surface. That same year, US Navy sonar testing detected something incredible. A 25-ft object moving underwater at impossible speeds. No known marine life matched what they found. Marine biologists studied the lake and discovered its unique ecosystem could actually support a large unknown species. Today, Vermont treats Champ like a real endangered animal. The state officially protects this mysterious creature making it illegal to harm. So, the question remains, is Champ just legend or something more?