Lake monster allegedly living in Lake Champlain. The Iroquois Indians called the monster chaoussarou. The Iroquois believed it had mystical qualities, including the ability to put observers into a hypnotic trance. Their stories, formed long before white settlers came to the region, told of herds of chaoussarous frolicking in the lake. In modern times only a single beast or, rarely, two has been seen at one time. According to some sources, the first European to sight Champ was the explorer Samuel de Champlain. Other sources, however, say that Champlain’s report was of nothing more than a large garfish.
Champs description has changed over time, but it is generally described as a long-necked, thick-bodied, serpentine creature. Many sightings have been reported in the 20th century, including an impressive group sighting in 1945 by the passengers and crew of the S.S. Ticonderoga.