For many years Kongsberg Maritime have contributed to 'Operation Groundtruth' while conducting freshwater trials of their equipment.
In April 2016, a team led by Craig Wallace, brought an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), called Munin to examine particular areas of the loch bed.
Carrying a multi-beam sonar with no less than 400 beams and flying close to objects of interest, very high resolution images are obtainable.
The vehicle can be programmed to carry out tasks independent of surface support after which it returns for the data to be downloaded.
Whilst dispatched to examine a ‘trench’ area near the northern sidewall of the loch for which a new maximum depth had been claimed, an interesting contact was made. The trench itself was found not to exist and was caused by ‘side- lobe’ echoes.
However, the contact proved to be a ‘real’ monster, at least 9m long and with a head on a long neck. The target also lay on the route taken by a model of this size constructed in 1969 for the film, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. This model sank while under tow from the Vickers Pisces mini-submarine and has lain undisturbed and undiscovered until now.
Below is a quick compilation of images and video with 'Munin' leaving the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition for deployment at Temple Pier.
Please click the arrow in the picture to start the video UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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