Loch Ness Monster hunt in photos: See Scotland's biggest search for Nessie in 50 years

Loch Ness Monster enthusiasts gathered in Scotland for what organizers said was the biggest search for the mythical beast in five decades.

The Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit, Scotland, invited "budding monster hunters" and volunteers to join in a search over the weekend for the Loch Ness Monster, also known as "Nessie." During the search, Nessie hunters used drones and hydrophones that record underwater sounds to help keep the 23-mile-long, 2-mile-wide Loch Ness under surveillance.

There have been more than 1,100 reported sightings of the creature over the years, with the first one dating back to 564, according to the official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register.

No proof of the Loch Ness Monster's existence has ever been found and it's widely considered a myth. That didn't stop potential Nessie hunters.

Here are some of the best photos from the Loch Ness Monster hunt on Saturday and Sunday.

Tourists photograph a souvenir toy of the Loch Ness monster over the weekend of Aug. 27, 2023 in what is described as the biggest search for the Loch ness monster in 50 years.
Tourists photograph a souvenir toy of the Loch Ness monster over the weekend of Aug. 27, 2023 in what is described as the biggest search for the Loch ness monster in 50 years.
Nessie hunters board a boat on Loch Ness during the biggest search for the Loch Ness monster in 50 years over the weekend of Aug. 27, 2023.
Nessie hunters board a boat on Loch Ness during the biggest search for the Loch Ness monster in 50 years over the weekend of Aug. 27, 2023.
Organizer Alan McKenna, (2nd R) joins Nessie hunters on a boat on Loch Ness over the weekend of Aug. 27, 2023.
Organizer Alan McKenna, (2nd R) joins Nessie hunters on a boat on Loch Ness over the weekend of Aug. 27, 2023.
The tourist boat 'Nessie Hunter' returns to shore on Loch Ness over the weekend of Aug. 27, 2023, during the biggest search for the Loch Ness monster in 50 years.
The tourist boat 'Nessie Hunter' returns to shore on Loch Ness over the weekend of Aug. 27, 2023, during the biggest search for the Loch Ness monster in 50 years.
A Canadian flag is held as Loch Ness Research Project vessel 'Deepscan' takes monster hunters on a search trip on Loch Ness in the hope of spotting the elusive monster Nessie in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023. The biggest search for the Loch Ness Monster in five decades got underway in the Scottish Highlands, as researchers and enthusiasts from around the world braved pelting rain to try to track down the elusive Nessie.
Loch Ness Research Project vessel 'Deepscan' takes monster hunters on a search trip on Loch Ness in the hope of spotting the elusive monster Nessie in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023.
Loch Ness Research Project vessel 'Deepscan' takes monster hunters on a search trip on Loch Ness in the hope of spotting the elusive monster Nessie in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023.
Loch Ness Research Project vessel 'Deepscan' takes monster hunters on a search trip on Loch Ness in the hope of spotting the elusive monster Nessie in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023.
Loch Ness Research Project vessel 'Deepscan' takes monster hunters on a search trip on Loch Ness in the hope of spotting the elusive monster Nessie in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023.
Self-proclaimed Nessie hunter Michael Holian watches over Loch Ness in the hope of spotting the elusive monster Nessie in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023.
Self-proclaimed Nessie hunter Michael Holian watches over Loch Ness in the hope of spotting the elusive monster Nessie in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023.
People visit Dores Beach on Loch Ness in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023.
People visit Dores Beach on Loch Ness in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023.
Loch Ness monster-themed souvenirs are sold at a shack at Dores Beach on the shore of Loch Ness on Aug. 27, 2023.
Loch Ness monster-themed souvenirs are sold at a shack at Dores Beach on the shore of Loch Ness on Aug. 27, 2023.
Loch Ness monster-themed signs are sold at Nessieland in Drumnadrochit in the Scottish Highlands on Aug. 27, 2023.
Loch Ness monster-themed signs are sold at Nessieland in Drumnadrochit in the Scottish Highlands on Aug. 27, 2023.
People swim off Dores Beach on Loch Ness in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023.
People swim off Dores Beach on Loch Ness in Scotland on Aug. 27, 2023.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Loch Ness Monster: Photos of the 2023 search for Nessie