Legendary Argentine lake monster 'Nahuelito' to be celebrated with sizeable statue
A sizeable statue of a legendary Argentine lake monster known as Nahuelito will soon loom over where the mysterious creature is said to reside. The fantastic cryptid said to be a plesiosaur-like animal akin to the iconic depiction of the Loch Ness Monster, has been a part of the country's contemporary folklore for over a century after a pair of strange sightings made headlines in the 1920s. To this day, multiple visitors to Nahuel Huapi Lake have reported seeing, and in some cases filming, odd aquatic anomalies thought to be the now-beloved 'monster.'
Similar to its aquatic cryptid kin Nessie, Ogopogo in Canada, and the Lake Champlain monster, the creature has been embraced by the community around its home with a walking tour devoted to the legend and, soon, a sizeable statue. The iron piece is reportedly the brainchild of filmmaker Walter Jung, who was inspired to commission the creation while working on a documentary about his family's rich history of blacksmithing in the Argentine city of Bariloche, which borders Nahuel Huapi Lake.
The 'monstrous' sculpture depicting Nahuelito (seen in a conceptual drawing below) will measure a whopping 20 feet long and stand a towering 13 feet tall. Though Jung had intended for the piece to be completed by May 3rd to be presented as a gift to the community on its birthday, he indicated that the project is more likely to be finished sometime shortly thereafter. Appreciative officials in Bariloche have yet to decide where the sculpture will be located. That said, the filmmaker hopes the piece will be placed near a popular tourist spot on the shore of Nahuel Huapi Lake where the city's name is spelled out in giant letters.