The biggest search for the Loch Ness Monster in 50 years is this weekend

This photo, purported to be of the Loch Ness Monster, was taken near Inverness, Scotland in 1934. One of the participants revealed on his deathbed that the pictures were staged.

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Researchers and monster hunters are gathering in the United Kingdom’s Scottish Highlands this weekend to look for the eternally elusive Loch Ness Monster, the biggest search for the legendary beast in more than 50 years.

Somewhere beneath the shimmering surface of Loch Ness lies Nessie, the legendary sea beast whose reputation spans nearly 1,500 years — at least, that’s what monster hunters and Nessie enthusiasts from around the world hope to prove Saturday and Sunday. The Loch Ness Centre and the research group Loch Ness Exploration are asking all aspiring monster hunters to join in on the biggest search since 1972.

“Our purpose is to observe, record and study the natural behaviour of the Loch and phenomena that may be more challenging to explain,” the Loch Ness Exploration Facebook page reads. “If you believe that the Loch Ness Monster exists then we invite you to join the search, we equally invite you to support the study of the Loch and the natural behaviour of the elements that may be the root cause of these strange reports from Loch Ness.”

Investigators are breaking out all sorts of technology, including surveying equipment the Loch Ness Centre says has never been used on the freshwater lake before. Drones with infrared cameras will fly over the lake and a hydrophone will be used under the surface to detect “Nessie-like calls,” the Centre says.

Volunteers will also participate in a large surface watch of the loch, scanning the surface for any irregularities.

However, due to an…