A Woman Walking Her Dog Finds Dinosaur-Like Creature in a Lake – Is Shocked When She Learns What It Really Is
On a quiet morning in the town of Glenridge, Oregon, a woman named Marla Thompson took her usual route through Lakeside Park with her golden retriever, Buddy. The sun had just begun to rise, casting a golden glow on the mist-covered lake. Everything was peaceful—until Buddy started barking wildly near the shoreline.
At first, Marla thought her dog had seen a duck or maybe a turtle. But as she approached the water’s edge, she froze. Just a few feet out in the lake, partially submerged, was what looked like the long, scaly neck of a creature straight out of a Jurassic Park movie. Its ridged back protruded through the water like a row of ancient spikes, and for a moment, it even moved slightly—sending ripples across the lake’s surface.
“I thought I was hallucinating,” Marla later told reporters. “It looked like a dinosaur. Like, literally. I grabbed Buddy and backed away slowly. I didn’t know whether to call animal control or a museum.”
Panicked but curious, Marla snapped a photo and posted it on her local neighborhood group with the caption, “What the heck is this in the lake??” The image quickly went viral, with online sleuths debating everything from a prank to a prehistoric survivor.
Some believed it might be a giant eel or a new species. Others jokingly claimed it was the Loch Ness Monster’s cousin. Local authorities cordoned off the area later that day, and wildlife experts were brought in to investigate.
The truth, however, was far stranger—and more human—than anyone expected.
After careful examination, including drone footage and a scuba dive by a local biology student, the mystery was solved. The “dinosaur” was actually a long-abandoned movie prop from a low-budget sci-fi film shot in the 1980s called Jurassic Swamp. The film was never released, and the prop—a fiberglass model of a plesiosaur—had been left behind after a scene was filmed in the lake.
Years of sediment and algae had turned the prop into a disturbingly lifelike creature. The movements Marla had seen were likely caused by gentle currents and a buildup of air pockets in the hollow model.
“When I found out it was a prop, I didn’t know whether to laugh or feel embarrassed,” Marla said. “But at least I wasn’t the only one who thought it was real!”
Since the discovery, the plesiosaur prop has been pulled from the water and cleaned. Locals have embraced the oddity, and it now sits proudly in front of the Glenridge Visitor Center, complete with a plaque that reads: “The Beast of Lakeside – Not Quite Jurassic.”
Marla has become a minor celebrity in town, and Buddy, the ever-watchful retriever, has earned a reputation as the dog who discovered a “dinosaur.”
Sometimes, the past resurfaces in unexpected—and hilarious—ways.
