I spotted the Loch Ness Monster during family boat trip – I was genuinely shocked and even the skipper was taken aback

A HOLIDAYMAKER reckons he spotted the Loch Ness Monster — while on a boat trip with his family around the famous lake.

Shocked Steve Valentine, 44, grabbed his phone and took a snap when he saw the “black shape” on the water as they headed back to the dock.

Steve showed the image to the boat’s skipper who advised him to register it as an official sighting — the fourth recorded this year.

It came ahead of the biggest ever Loch Ness Monster Hunt which begins today and will carry on over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Steve said he visited the Loch Ness Centre with wife Maria and their children before they began their cruise around the loch.

He said: “We were just on the way back to the dock and it was quite a calm day.

“There was nothing else on the surface of the water.

"All of a sudden I saw this black shape. It was a bit of a distance away, about 200 metres, near Urquhart Castle.”

Steve, from Urmston, Gtr Manchester, added: “I thought I needed to get a photo of it, which I did.

“It looked like the hump of the body and the back of the head.

“I showed the photo to the driver and he was quite taken aback.

"I am quite open-minded and I was genuinely shocked.”

Steve’s picture, on August 17, was recorded on The Official Register of Loch Ness Monster Sightings compiled by Nessie expert Gary Campbell since 1996.

It followed a report on June 15 of a 65ft dark shape moving just below the surface for several minutes.

That was logged by Etienne Camel and wife Eliane, of Lyon in France.

US tourist “Ceci” claimed to have seen something mysterious for a number of minutes on May 31.

On April 5, Francesca McGarvey, from Paisley, near Glasgow, said she saw humps in the water while visiting with her mum and dad.

Nessie hunters, meanwhile, will gather from today with infrared camera-carrying drones in a bid to capture images of the monster.

Others will use underwater microphones designed to detect unusual sounds beneath the surface.

The public are also being encouraged to scan the surface for signs of the beast, which scientists believe may be a giant eel.

Alan McKenna, of the Loch Ness Exploration research team, said: “It’s our hope to inspire a new generation of Loch Ness enthusiasts.

“By joining this large-scale surface watch, you will have a real opportunity to personally contribute towards this fascinating mystery that has captivated so many people from around the world.”

The legend dates from the 6th century when Irish monk St Columba is said to have encountered a monster in the Ness, a river that flows from Loch Ness — which is 754ft deep and contains more than 263,000 cubic feet of water.