An investigation into the enigmatic Kanas Lake Monsters,
originally scheduled for this autumn, has been put off until next
July. The news came from the Kanas Administrative Bureau of
Environment and Tourism.
It had been planned as a joint scientific expedition involving
several units, including a Chinese Scientific Expedition and the
underwater photographic team with the Chinese Underwater
Association.
"We were preparing to carry out a 10-day long investigation into
long-running reports of monsters in Kanas Lake in Xinjiang
from September 5 to 15 this year," said project leader, Li Wei of
the Kanas Administrative Bureau of Environment and Tourism.
"However, the original plan, estimated at 1.5 million yuan, has had
to be postponed. The experts cannot yet guarantee the safety of the
underwater operations. It is considered dangerous to go down given
the low visibility and extremely low water temperatures at the
bottom of Kanas Lake."
The underwater team is equipped with advanced American equipment
for their monster hunt. It is capable of operating in depths
greater than they will encounter in Kanas Lake. However, in a trial
dive in July, they ran into danger only 20 meters below the
surface.
"The waters of the lake are mostly made up of melted ice and
snow and it is difficult for the human body to withstand the low
temperatures involved. The best time of year to carry out
underwater exploration here is in July when the lake is warmer,"
said Li. "Besides, the turbidity of the lake changes with the
weather and the seasons. In April, May and August every year, the
lake water becomes more turbid under the influence of the White
Lake."
In 1985, a news report in Xinjiang Daily said teachers
and students of biology from Xinjiang University had found several
scores of huge red fish in Kanas Lake. They had heads over a meter
wide and were from 10 to 15 meters in length.
Since then many people have reported seeing these monsters in
the lake.
Back in 1987, a joint scientific expedition began the first
rigorous investigation into the lake monsters. After their
two-year-long investigation they concluded that the monsters were
in fact huge examples of the species hucho taimens.
However, there are still many doubts remaining. So far, no
specimen of hucho taimens caught in the lake has actually exceeded
4 meters in length. There is also some doubt as to whether or not
Kanas Lake could provide a suitable living environment for really
large fish. So, further investigation is needed to find out whether
the lake monsters are indeed hucho taimens and if not, then just
what are these monsters?
Apart from investigating the lake's monsters, next year's
expedition will focus on the underwater forest in Kanas Lake. They
will also carry out a scientific investigation of the land forms,
geomorphology, deep currents and fish at the bottom of the lake. In
addition they will look at the naturally occurring causeway of dead
timber at the head of the lake.
(China.org.cn by Yuan Fang, September 4, 2004)