Giant Cobra Snake Rising Out of River Water, Video: Fact Check

Story:

Giant Cobra Snake Appears Rising Out of Ocean water

Other Versions

Sheshnag seen in a river

(Hindi)

नदी में प्रकट हआ विशालकाय शेषनाग सांप

Fact Check:

An interesting video viral on social media alleges to show a Giant Cobra Snake Rising Out of River Water all of a sudden. Other version of messages accompanying the video also claim it is Sheshnag mentioned in Hindu puranas. Although looking beautiful, the giant snake rising out of water in the video is not real.

Origin of Video

The 12 seconds short video in question appeared on Tik Tok account of user @mrbikkeeraj and surprisingly garnered millions of views. Then it spread to WhatsApp and other social media platforms also. The video became popular because in Hindu puranas, Sheshnag is described as a massive form of snake coiled up in space and rising above water. Vishnu, one of the principal deities of Hinduism, is described reclining on the coils of the serpent Shesha.

Not Any Giant Snake or Sheshnag Rising out of Water

At first glance, the huge snake moving above water, opening its mouth and tongue appears real. However, a closer look reveals the truth. The footage is a product of video editing, adding the special effect of Snake to another video. Note, the user on Tik Tok, @mrbikkeeraj deleted the video later on.

A video from September 2016 reveals the actual location appearing in the video – it is Qiantang River bank in East China. The similar scene shows the moment spectators got hit and swallowed by the strong tidal bore (wave).

Image about Giant Cobra Snake Rising Out of River Water, Video — People watching tidal bore at Qiantang River bank in East China

Viewing the tidal bore has become an annual tradition for residents nearby Qiantang River. It attracts hundreds of visitors each year. Most certainly one of those videos from the area is used to fabricate the unreal Giant snake footage. For your information, a tidal bore happens when a fast-rising tide is funneled by a river into an upstream wave. Thrill seekers get quite close to the water and end up drowning in the resulting splash of water.