Every year Iliamna Lake, Alaska’s largest lake, freezes over and the population of freshwater harbor seals magically disappear. Yet at the end of every winter they are found back in the lake when all water access to the lake had been frozen off. Oddly enough, the vanishing harbor seal is not the only mystery of Lake Iliamna’s deep waters. For years there have been continuous sightings of a white creature rolling across the surface of the water and then quickly retreating into the depths of the lake. The disappearing seals and mysterious lake monster are two very curious and very disturbing unsolved mysteries of the Last Frontier.

Theories about the disappearing harbor seals.
ah zut | Flickr
There are many theories about the disappearing harbor seals from scientists to folklore. The most common rumor is of an underground cave where the seals would have access to fresh water in order to survive the winter under the ice, but the theory of the cave has yet to be proven true.  
What about the lake monster?
Erin McKittrick | Wikipedia
As for the mysterious lake monster, the appearances of the large, strange white creature lead to the myth of the Loch Ness monster living in the frigid waters of Alaska’s largest lake.

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There are even those who argue that the white creature is a historic sturgeon that has been living in Iliamna Lake since the ice age. For now, no one knows!
NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program | Wikipedia
Some argue it could be sleeper sharks that survive the winter in saltwater pockets along the floor of the lake, others say there might be underground access to the Cook Inlet.

Have you heard of any other disturbing unsolved mysteries in Alaska? Let us know in the comments!

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