Exploring the world through Google Maps can lead to some strange, amazing, and bizarre discoveries, but the discovery of a massive ‘snake skeleton’ in France has sparked a frenzy like no other.
According to the Independent, @googlemapsfun is a TikTok account that posts videos of things people have discovered while exploring Google Maps. The user posted a video of a gigantic snake-like item discovered off the coast of France on March 24.
“We can see something gigantic that can only be seen from space somewhere in France, concealed on Google Earth,” the account claims. “The users believe this to be a gigantic snake. It’s around 30 metres long and is the largest snake I’ve ever seen.”
Le Serpent d'océan est une immense sculpture (130m) de l'artiste Huang Yong Ping, principalement composée d'aluminium. A découvrir à Saint-Brevin-les-Pins en France.#PaysDeLaLoire #SaintNazaireRenversante #ErenJaeger
— Wider Focus (@WiderFocus) February 28, 2022
👇Full YouTube video #widerfocushttps://t.co/U61apdbEk4 pic.twitter.com/0nHGPmhhvR
According to the report, the snake skeleton could be that of an extinct Titanoboa, a genus of enormous snakes.
While the video has over 2 million views on TikTok and a snake-like object has been discovered on Google Maps (see it here), there is more to this story than meets the eye.
The ‘snake skeleton’ is actually a “large, metallic sculpture known as Le Serpent d’Ocean,” according to Snopes’ analysis of the popular video. The 425-foot-long sculpture can be found on France’s west coast.
In 2012, as part of the Estuaire art event, the Serpent d’Ocean was unveiled. According to Atlas Obscura, it was designed by Huang Yong Ping, a Chinese-French artist.
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