Loch Ness holds more freshwater than all the lakes and reservoirs in England and Wales put together. Nessie is just as alive (or not) today, as it ever was. The last reported sighting was as recent as February 2002. St Columba's instructions to Nessie were to never again prey on local inhabitants. But did you know that the monster itself is protected - by the 1912 Protection of Animals Acts of Scotland. The Loch Ness Monster is estimated to be worth $40 million a year to the Scottish tourism industry. No wonder the Austrians famously 'exposed' the story as a plot to steal tourists. Loch Ness averages 182 metres (600 feet) in depth - which perhaps partly explains why scientists haven't yet gotten to the bottom of the mystery.