Is the Giant Eclipse Octopus found in the Gulf of Mexico real or fake? Viral footage explored

The Giant Eclipse Octopus is going viral on Facebook. The page Science and Space Daily uploaded a picture of a Kraken-like creature and claimed it was supposedly found in the Gulf of Mexico. Marine researchers reportedly also have a video recording of it.

They seemingly stated that the creature is over 15 meters or 50 feet long, and that its tentacles are "as long as a city bus." The name Eclipse Octopus is supposedly derived from the "unusual" ocean activities allegedly caused by this year's frequent Moon anomalies and eclipses.

The Facebook page also claimed that the video is not AI-generated or edited, and has reportedly been officially examined for any manipulation. It is supposedly verified.

The Giant Eclipse Octopus in the Gulf of Mexico is fake news. There are no reports of such an octopus. No marine researchers have come forward to confirm the Kraken-like octopus's existence, and there is no video of it.

The image used in the viral Facebook post is AI-generated. The claim first appeared on Instagram in October. It was then reposted in the r/Cryptozoology subreddit. Users then confirmed that it is a false claim.

The post went massively viral on Facebook, garnering over 65,000 reactions and more than 15,000 comments on the platform. The majority of netizens believed the news.

"And I bet they get even bigger the deeper you go into the ocean. The ocean is uncharted for the most part; there's no telling what's really down there. This is so cool," one netizen wrote.

"Makes sense. The ocean is vast and mostly uncharted. There’s wayyyy larger things that we have NEVER seen before. Just think: something that size has to have prey… and a predator. So what’s eating THAT," another user noted.

There has been a rapid growth of fake animal videos, such as the Giant Eclipse Octopus

As AI-generating tools like Sora 2 gained popularity, major companies have started launching their own AI tools. Netizens have used these tools to create fake videos. A large number of these viral videos feature animals performing random acts.

The Sedgwick County Zoo stated in a blog earlier this month that the sudden boom in AI-generated content about animals takes attention away from real conservation stories.

The zoo also shared that these videos give the wrong impression about animal behaviour, as viewers might assume wild animals would act like pets or be amicable to strangers. This might lead to people ending up in danger, as they try to replicate what they see on the internet.

The Sedgwick County Zoo stated that the rise of AI-generated videos creates distrust in people's minds. They might not believe genuine "fieldwork photos, zoo updates, or scientific documentation" either.

It is advised to fact-check any viral video that might seem fake. Also, the AI-generated videos usually don't provide much context, such as where the video or image is from, who captured it, etc.

Stay tuned for more news on viral animals such as the Giant Eclipse Octopus.