In 1676 (August 12), the Colombian priest and historian Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita (Bogotá, 1624 - Panama, 1688), as requested by the Bishop of Santa Marta, presented his General History of the Conquest of the New Kingdom of Granada: the SCRM d. King Charles II of Spain and the Indies, in which Chapter I, paragraph 13, contains the following statements of a monstrous being on Lake Tota: "Refer to it Lake Tota but calls it a Laguna in the text as a place in which a fish with a black head like an ox and larger than a whale was discovered.When referring to a sighting, an additional citation brings certainty to the matter: "Quesada says that in his time, trusted persons and the Indians affirmed that it was the devil; and for the year six hundred and fifty-two [1652], when I was at the place, Doña Andrea Vargas, lady of the country, spoke about having seen it.The French explorer and diplomat Gaspard Théodore Mollien (Paris, August 29, 1796 - Nice, June 28, 1872), recorded in his book The Journey of Gaspard Théodore Mollien by the Republic of Colombia in 1823, in Chapter V, the following: When going to Iza I intended to visit Lake Tota, which is a little higher, but in the same direction.

The mountains that surround it are composed of a thick sandstone, so strongly cemented that even the lowest areas aren’t affected by water filtration; however, one would assume that the thermal springs of Paipa and Iza are rooted in this vast reservoir that is located a few measures higher than the thermal springs.In 1852, Colombian writer, politician, teacher and journalist Manuel Ancízar (Fontibon, December 25, 1812 - Bogota, May 21, 1882); within the works led by Agustin Codazzi, carried out the Corográfica Commission and recorded in his book The Pilgrimage Alpha for the northern provinces of New Granada in 1850-1851 (Alpha was the pseudonym of Ancízar), a reference to the diabloballena monster of Lake Tota that cited Piedrahita's General History of the Conquest of the New Kingdom of Granada: the SCRM d.King Charles II of Spain and the Indians, in Chapter XXIV, paragraph 5: "This tall story involved the freshwater devil [in reference to "diablo ballena" quoted Piedrahita] and now no one has the courage to explore the lake, which had little islands that Piedrahita noted were even worse.

He ends the paragraph in reference by stating: "Partial drains periodically deepening the channel of Upía, are the only practicable measures to promise success to those seeking land to work, no treasures, that seem just as certain to them as the diabloballena of Piedrahita.”Meanwhile, Colombian botanist, explorer and physician José Jerónimo Triana (Bogota, May 22, 1828 - Paris, October 31, 1890), a member of the Corográfica Commission of Ancízar, also references the issue.

A summary of the book Myths, legends, traditions and folklore of Lake Tota (Lilia Montaña de Silva, Edition La Rana y El Águila, UPTC Tunja, 1970, p. 46-47) states: “[What I want to say, comments Triana, with respect to the lakes and lagoons, is that they were the main shrines of the Indians] (...) the lagoons were the residences of a sublime divinity and the soulful Indians saw in them areas full of charm and mystery.”[2]Additional notes on this part: "There is the idea of the modern farmer who has monsters asleep in the lagoons and who can be awaken from its cries and who can respond to the deep emptiness of the rocks that surround them, as if it were the voice of an oracle.

"[2]A concrete reference to the "black monster" of Lake Tota: "[In 1880, the tradition - stated by Lilia Montaña de Silva in her aforementioned book, presumably regarding historical comments of Triana- ] (.

..) that a black monster lived in the enchanted waters of the lagoon still persisted among the residents surrounding Lake Tota, in the town of Cuitiva.

"[5]The ceremony spell against Busiraco aimed at resolving the suffering of summer and water shortages, led to the creation of Lake Tota; the monster is also mentioned as a snake, when he was fatally attacked: "Siramena [who "Monetá" referred to as "the great dancer" ], danced with graceful and flexible movements turning faster and faster with each spin, and suddenly became still in front of the large painted rock, shrine of the goddess of water.

She then lifted his head and took out a shiny gold disc from her clothes and offered it to the goddess; after making it gleam in the sun for a moment, she hurled it with great force against the snake.

A tear rolled down his cheeks and took form as a diamond in the green case of an immense emerald [reserved for the Muisca "High Priest", originally delivered by the prophet "Bochica" when introducing indigenous priesthood].