Hosted by Corinne Vien and Sabrina Deana-Roga
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
This episode explores the lore, history, and modern evidence surrounding Champ, the beloved lake monster of Vermont's Lake Champlain. The guest shares her personal childhood encounter with the creature while tubing on Mallett's Bay, where a dark, humped body rode the boat's wake. Together, the hosts dive into the ancient geology of the Champlain Valley, Native American legends of horned serpents, early sightings documented by figures like Captain Crumb, and P.T. Barnum's fifty-thousand-dollar bounty. They also examine compelling modern evidence, including Sandra Mancy's 1977 photograph analyzed by the University of Arizona, video footage from 2005 reviewed by FBI forensic analysts, and 2003 hydrophone recordings capturing biological echolocation. The episode concludes with a listener-submitted spooky encounter with a mysterious creature known as a not deer in upstate New York.
The episode opens with sponsor messages from Americans United for Separation of Church and State and a brief commercial for Lululemon.
Corinne and Sabrina celebrate Corinne’s birthday, discuss the tradition of birthday cards, and reveal a special card being prepared for her August birthday.
Sabrina recounts the first documented sighting of Champ in 1977, describing the mysterious creature’s appearance and the photo that sparked interest.
The hosts explain Lake Champlain’s ancient geological history, the transition from a tropical sea to a freshwater lake, and how this could explain Champ’s existence.
They review 19th‑century sightings, including Captain Crumb’s account, railroad workers’ reports, and P.T. Barnum’s offer to capture Champ.
Sabrina and Corinne discuss the plausibility of Champ, compare it to other cryptids, and speculate on its behavior and habitat.
The episode presents three contemporary pieces of evidence: the 1977 photo, the 2005 fishing video, and 2003 hydrophone recordings of unexplained sounds.
The hosts wrap up the episode, encourage listeners to share their own sightings, and tease future content.
The hosts introduce the episode with a playful ad segment and a brief reminder of the season’s new Lululemon collection.
The conversation shifts to the lake monster Champ, discussing its possible prehistoric lineage and various cryptid explanations.
The hosts debate whether Champ should be considered a cryptid, weighing evidence and the role of magical properties in folklore.
Sandra Mancy's 1977 Photographdata
Sandra Mancy photographed a dark, serpent-like creature emerging from Lake Champlain on July 5, 1977. The developed photo was later analyzed at the University of Arizona and showed no evidence of tampering.
A Fossilized Coral Reefinsight
The hosts discuss the ancient geological history of Lake Champlain, revealing that a fossilized coral reef dating back over 500 million years sits right in Vermont.
Captain Crumb's 1819 Sightingstory
Captain Crumb reported seeing an 187-foot-long black serpent with a seahorse head, three teeth, onion-colored eyes, and a red belt around its neck in 1819.
PT Barnum's Fifty Thousand Dollar Bountydata
Following multiple sightings in July 1873, P.T. Barnum offered a bounty of fifty thousand dollars for the hide of the Great Champlain Serpent for his circus show.
The Alford and Bodett Videoinsight
In 2005, two fishermen filmed a creature near their boat on Lake Champlain. Two retired FBI forensic image analysts independently reviewed the tape and declared it authentic and unmanipulated.
Mysterious Echolocation Recordingsdata
In 2003, the Fauna Communications Research Institute deployed hydrophones in Lake Champlain and recorded high-pitched ticking and chirping resembling biological echolocation.
The Guest's Personal Sightingstory
The guest recounts a terrifying childhood experience where a dark, multi-humped creature roughly eight to ten inches wide rode alongside her family's tube in Mallett's Bay.
“The oldest evidence of a coral reef on a planet in Vermont, in a lake where I tried my very first Mike's Hard Lemonade?”
“The lake basin itself was formed 200 million years ago when the stretching of the continental plates caused a massive piece of bedrock to drop between the two parallel faults right there.”
“The photo was published and it caused a media sensation. It was printed in publications like the New York Times and Life Magazine.”
“The oldest rocks visible on Lake Champlain's shores are over a billion years old on the New York side.”
“It's not moving side to side like a shark or like a, some reptile. It's more mammal-like where it's up and down.”
“Lake sturgeons can weigh up to 310 pounds, measure over six feet, some live 150 years.”
“If Champ exists, like you're not allowed to kill him. You're not allowed to hurt him. He's protected by law.”
“I was driving home one night. It was a regular shift for me, nothing exciting. I just turned onto the last three-mile stretch before I reached my house when I noticed a deer on the side of the road.”
It’s Corinne’s birthday, so we’re celebrating the only way that feels right, by diving into one of her favorite cryptids. Meet Champ, the legendary Lake Champlain monster. We dig into eyewitness accounts, famous photographs, underwater sounds, Indigenous legends, and the incredible geology that transformed Lake Champlain into the perfect hiding place for something ancient. Could Champ be an undiscovered species, a relic from the Jurassic period, or something stranger? Grab your binoculars and keep your hands out of the water. Watch the video version here. Have ghost stories of your own? E-mail them to us at [email protected] New Episodes are released every Thursday and Sunday at 12am PST/3am EST (the witching hour, of course). Corinne and Sabrina hand select a couple of paranormal encounters from our inbox to read in each episode, from demons, to cryptids, to aliens, to creepy kids... the list goes on and on. If you have a story of your own that you'd like us to share on an upcoming episode, we invite you to email them to us! If you enjoy our show, please consider joining our Patreon, rating and reviewing on iTunes & Spotify and following us on social media! Youtube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Discord. Edited and produced by Jaimi Ryan. Original music by Arms Akimbo! Disclaimer: the use of white sage and smudging is a closed practice. If you’re looking to cleanse your space, here are some great alternatives! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12,210 words · 5 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
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