On the Trail of Champ (Lake Monster) - Episode 5: Small Towns, Big Monster

Episode 5 deals with the local communities surrounding Lake Champlain and their relationship with the lake, but more broadly with the Champ monster as a cultural phenomenon. Discussed is Champ as a local mascot, the various ecological threats facing the Lake and the future of Champ research and what that may hold for the lake.
You can purchase On the Trail of... Champ on DVD through shop.smalltownmonsters.com or visit onthetrailof.tv

[@Weezii668]

My Grandma told me about Champ when I was little. She lived in Port Kent NY, north of Port Henry. I spent many summers on Lake Champlain, but never spotted Champ. This subject has always been interesting to me. Great series. BTW, Small Town Monsters, I found this via Grimerica. 😊

[@freshimpactco.8698]

Sometimes we need to believe in things which defy explanation and are mysterious. It is what remains of our childlike spirit our inner need to be amazed and to imagine. Whatever resides in lake Champlain it helps us to keep our childhood imagination alive, that is by far the most valuable gift..... Real or not may Champ live on through the generations to come.

[@ijt3131]

Loved watching all 5 episodes. Also saw the Bray Road Beast doc and few weeks back and loved that also. Keep up the good work!

[@Hatch61]

I just finished watching all five episodes. Thanks for sharing them. I've always enjoyed any type of cryptozoology story. I enjoy your channel.

[@sheilabrannon971]

Watched all 5 episodes! Nice work guys!!

[@cathysmith1555]

Great job on this documentary. Very interesting

[@00SynchronFan00]

This was the best docu about Champ I´ve ever seen, very well done guys! Maybe you can also make a documentary about the Ogopogo monster in the future? :) All the best for you from your new follower from Germany!

[@g.b569]

Yes they should do one on the Ogopogo. As a Canadian, I believe it deserves some recognition

[@BradyBigfooter]

Very excellent docu-series! William Dranginis is certainly missed

[@ihavefoundtheway]

Great job with this documentary.

[@RobertReno1]

I think the Vermont "Champs" sound better than the "Lake Monsters". Even if they lose, they are still the Champs! lol

[@gbro8822]

Thank you.

[@DevKumar-bb5zl]

CHAMP is 4 REAL NO JOKE .. The only time we will ever see it is when it wants us to.

[@jamesbirch9614]

I enjoyed re-watching this. Saw it along with several other STM offerings. Will you be posting the other lake monster documentaries you did?

[@SmallTownMonsters]

We haven't covered too much ground yet when it comes to lake monsters, but there will be an Ogopogo documentary coming in the near future on Mysteries & Monsters!

[@jamesbirch9614]

@@SmallTownMonsters oh, my bad! I could swear you already did Ogopogo… and didn’t you folks do one on the Hodag? Am I getting confused in my old age???

[@Zackary-gp7eh]

Crown point NY 👌🏻

[@g.b569]

Champ can bring awareness to protecting the earth

[@darkprose]

Really? How?

[@jeremiahhaubenreiser6075]

Totally. I see where you're going there. Champ could be a mascot for nature and a "champion" for various environmental issues. Good call.🐍

[@conductor666stitch]

Also why dont people see monsters in ALL lakes? Only a select few? Shouldn't people be saying monster in all lakes. No cause they know what a huge dinosaur looks like when its staring at u.

[@thedisabledwelshman9266]

if the lake chaplain sightings died, tourism would also die.

[@DM-iw2qt]

Let's have a important fact. Remember in the 30's. Lochness they were building a road around lake. Blasting drilling industrial earth moving equipment. Now lake Champaign remberber rail road being built steam ships on lake and construction in modern times building bridges and traffic. Could it be these animals are in caves around these lakes ???

[@conductor666stitch]

I love how they say dinosaurs went extinct. Well alligators and turtles made it. Also it could be a huge turtle species. Big hump long neck? 4 flippers?

[@doh4828]

Those aren’t dinosaurs, right.

[@austinsy8056]

@@doh4828 you’re correct

[@jeremiahhaubenreiser6075]

Great docu-series. I've always been fascinated by this topic and the Mansi photograph. Though I am by nature a skeptic and feel it is most likely a floating tree trunk with an extended branch protruding from the water, I want more than anything for it to be a Real live undiscovered species of creature that actually exists. Same with Nessie and Ogopogo. How awesome would that be? Though I do hold out hope for such things to truly exist, it restores a sense of excitement and wonder about the Unknown. I'm definitely a huge fan of Champ or at very least the idea of such a thing. And just for the record, if Champ does exist somewhere in Lake Champlain, I hope no one ever finds or captures him or her so as to allow it to remain free and Undisturbed. Sincerely Hopeful Fan of Champ P.S. Vermont Lake Monsters Rule and are hands down my favorite team. Though I do prefer their old logo better. Someday I intend to Obtain some Team merchandise. Thanks for listening.

[@austinsy8056]

Jeremiah Haubenreiser actually according to this guy named chuck pagan he said in the photo it’s actually an unknown species of long snake necked giant turtle that grows around 25 feet at max and in the mansi picture the reason why it looks like a log is because the neck is below the water and that thing that looks like a back is actually it’s shell!!! And he even saw the full Bodette 2005 video that never got shown to the public and he said it shows two huge plesiosaur looking turtles with a 6 foot long neck and a long powerful crocodile like tail that has spikes on it. He said it had babies that ride on its back in the video and he said the other turtle that was about 25 swam under there boat and got a full view of the creature. You should look it up on the internet i truly believe there is no way that it’s fake and the guy is telling the truth I really think!!!

[@jquest43]

@@austinsy8056 it's a pleasiosaur

[@austinsy8056]

jquest43 I hope soon that the animals that live in the lake are finally proven to be real I just hope it happens soon what do you think do you think it could happen anytime soon?

[@wadethompson9101]

Deep fried pickle chips!

[@jimboord927]

They have been seen on land. This is true of nessie also. Its possible they lay their eggs on land.

[@veer019]

Because may be it doesn't need to eat much just like crocodile who eats once a year and survives easily

[@javanthomas4122]

Wonder if there is a tunnel in the lake that they could be using to get from the sea to the lake.

[@javanthomas4122]

@@salvagemonster3612 ok

[@anthonypile395]

Grew up on the water. Be careful of mistaking wave patterns for live animals. I see alot of footage of waves that people think are living things

[@jeremiahhaubenreiser6075]

One thing I wonder about? What is That in front of it on left side of it? Swimmer? Tree trunk? ??? I'm of course referring to the Mansi photograph. The uncropped version. At 18:18 timestamp.

[@jquest43]

Another champ

[@tA_aT287]

Puff the Magic Sea Dragon

[@srihastutik8031]

Maybe we should stop looking, because when we look for it (or them) we just couldn't find it, who knows.....maybe....if we stop looking and leave them alone then one day we will find out what it is.

[@geraldherrmann787]

i have no idea why the image at 18:16 isn´t seen as what it is: a swimmer doing the crawl fotographed from behind, leftside the head, then the right arm and hand in the air, then the hip ...

[@jeremiahhaubenreiser6075]

Holy crap, I never even considered that. Interesting explanation. 🐍

[@austinsy8056]

I can’t really see it

[@palnikolaiisnes7804]

I have a very good idea why its not......

[@marslan6960]

It's A Nym.......

[@inhibited44]

How does something that big not deplete the population of fish it survives on?

[@specialized29er86]

Proven?

[@thedisabledwelshman9266]

why pass a law protecting something that may not exist? BY the way im not saying that the lake monster does NOT exist.