Loch Ness Monster Feted in Google Doodle

— -- Google is feting the Loch Ness Monster on the 81st anniversary of one of the most famous photographs ever taken of a creature alleged to be the elusive Nessie.

Col. Robert Wilson captured a grainy photograph eight decades ago showing what appears to be a sea serpent rising out of the water in Scotland. The mysterious image helped to spawn the legend of Nessie -- letting imaginations around the world run wild.

People determined to catch a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster can get a virtual treat by visiting Google Street View and exploring a 23-mile stretch of the Loch Ness where the monster is said to live in Scotland.

The imagery was gathered for Google by the Catlin Seaview Survey, which went below the dark waters of the Loch Ness to capture underwater imagery.

"You can imagine Nessie nestling within these dark, peat-filled water, waiting for the right moment to breach the surface into the Scottish sunlight above," a Google blog post said announcing the feature.

Nessie is so popular that Google said it logs more searches for the monster than other U.K. institutions, including Buckingham Palace.