Snopes Now available in the app store!
Open
Donald Trump
White House
Politics
AI-generated Content
Not Necessarily The News
ocean
Screenshot of image from Facebook post. A photo of a pinkish creature with tentacles around a circular center, in which there is an open mouth with what appears to be top and bottom rows of teeth

Does this image show real 'little sea monster'?

Written by:
Emery Winter
Nov. 4, 2025 The photo is of a rarely seen deep sea squid. Its "teeth like a human" are actually lips.
Read More
Photo of man at the edge of an acid pond cratered into reddish desert surface, sky is clear and blue above

Is a new ocean forming in Africa?

Written by:
Emery Winter
Oct. 30, 2025 The African continent is gradually splitting apart. Although a new ocean is expected to form as ...
Read More
Screenshot of Reddit image. Top photo is anglerfish underwater from the front, with big jagged teeth and lure swimming in ocean blue water. Bottom photo is same anglerfish, black, within the palm of a hand wearing a black glove

Real palm-sized anglerfish shown in this photo?

Written by:
Emery Winter
Oct. 13, 2025 While some species of anglerfish can grow up to a few feet in length, most are much smaller. The ...
Read More
A screenshot of map used in Facebook post. Map is of U.S. Pacific coast, with red rings pinging the location of Axial Seamount

Undersea volcano off Oregon coast could erupt in 2025, but isn't a threat to people

Written by:
Emery Winter
July 18, 2025 The U.S. Geological Survey said in May 2025 that the volcano is "exciting, not hazardous."
Read More
Large ice blocks are seen on top of water that is frozen over.

Online reports claimed ocean current near Antarctica 'reversed direction.' Research didn't show that

Written by:
Jack Izzo
July 14, 2025 Researchers measuring the salinity of the Southern Ocean did find unexpected results, but some o ...
Read More
Underwater scene showing several large white turbines with three blades each, standing upright on the seafloor. The turbines have bases wrapped with the Norwegian flag. Small fish swim nearby, and light filters through the water from above. Overlaid text reads: “Norway built underwater turbines that generate power without harming sea life — clean energy with zero surface footprint.”

Diving into claims Norway installed underwater turbines for energy production

Written by:
Anna Rascouët-Paz
July 5, 2025 While a popular meme was false, underwater tidal turbines do exist ... in Scotland.
Read More

Unpacking long-standing claim oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050

Written by:
Laerke Christensen
March 29, 2025 A 2016 report claimed that by 2050 there would be 850 million tons of plastic in the oceans and ...
Read More

This photo's real, but doesn't show 'Great Pacific Garbage Patch'

Written by:
Madison Dapcevich
March 8, 2025 The patch of waste was said to have grown to “twice the size of Texas.”
Read More
What appears like yellow moss is shown at the bottom of the ocean.

Real 'Hot Tub of Despair'? This oceanic region supposedly kills anything that enters

Written by:
Madison Dapcevich
Feb. 10, 2025 The deadly deep-sea brine pool is said to kill anything that enters its waters.
Read More

Is This a Really Giant Squid — Or Fake Photo?

Written by:
Madison Dapcevich
Jan. 22, 2025 The photo first emerged online in 2018 and was reportedly captured in New Zealand.
Read More

Video of Google Earth 'Sea Monster' Is Obvious Hoax

Written by:
Madison Dapcevich
Jan. 2, 2025 A mapping expert identified the video as containing data from Guichan Island near Taiwan.
Read More

No, Photo Doesn't Show Real Megalodon in the 1900s

Written by:
Caroline Wazer
Dec. 31, 2024 Scientists believe megalodons went extinct around 3.6 million years ago.
Read More

The Origin of Photos Supposedly Showing Giant 'Axolotl' Sea Creature

Written by:
Caroline Wazer
Dec. 29, 2024 The images have multiple signs of being the product of artificial intelligence (AI) software.
Read More

Rumors Say Proposed Tunnel Would Allow London-to-NYC Travel in an Hour. Here Are the Facts

Written by:
Laerke Christensen
Dec. 18, 2024 The idea for a trans-Atlantic tunnel has been around for more than a century, but no fully-forme ...
Read More

Real Early 1900s Photo of Crowd Posing with Megalodon?

Written by:
Caroline Wazer
Dec. 6, 2024 Believed to have been the largest fish to ever exist, megalodons could weigh up to 120,000 pound ...
Read More

Real Pic of Man Sitting on Edge of 'Underwater Cliff'?

Written by:
Madison Dapcevich
Oct. 15, 2024 The image first appeared online in September 2018 and has captivated and unnerved social media u ...
Read More

Giant Axolotl Pulled from Ocean by Papuan Fisherman?

Written by:
Caroline Wazer
Aug. 14, 2024 Many posts said the creature had been found in Papua, while others claimed it was caught off the ...
Read More

Blue-Ringed Octopus Has Enough Venom to Kill 26 Adult Humans Within Minutes?

Written by:
Anna Rascouët-Paz
June 9, 2024 Several social media users claimed the bite is painless and that no antiserum exists.
Read More

Real Video of a Sea Cucumber Eating?

Written by:
Madison Dapcevich
April 18, 2024 Sea cucumbers are known to gather food matter with dozens of tube-like feet that surround their ...
Read More

Video Shows Woman Taking Selfie During a Tsunami?

Written by:
Nikki Dobrin
April 5, 2024 As the wave hit, she appears swept along in the muddy water, squealing as she is momentarily sub ...
Read More