From a monstrous sea creature to a musical forest, these are some of the strangest things
you can see on Google Earth!
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Number 10.
Badlands Guardian, Alberta, Canada
Also known as Woman's Head or Indian Head, this unusual geographical formation is located
in Alberta, Canada near the city of Medicine Hat.
Badlands Guardian got its name because of how it looks when viewed from above.
It resembles a person's head topped with an Indigenous headdress, and it faces directly
west.
Despite its strikingly-human appearance, this formation wasn't carved by people.
It was created via erosion by water and wind and serves as a drainage feature.
The soil is soft and filled with clay, allowing the area's rare, but powerful, rain showers
to shape the land.
But, something that might surprise you is that the Badlands Guardian isn't convex; this
strange-looking occurrence is concave.
Number 9.
Coca Cola, Arica, Chile
Coca Cola might just be the most popular soda in the world.
I mean, who can resist that classic taste and caramel color?
This logo in the desert in Chile was made to commemorate the company's 100th anniversary
and is formed out of 70,000 empty Coca Cola bottles.
Although you might believe it was created for the specific reason of viewing it via
satellite images provided by things like Google Earth, it was actually made in 1986 long before
these tools were publicly available.
This massive sign even broke a Guinness World Record for the "largest Coca Cola logo."
Number 8.
Guitar Forest, Cordoba, Argentina
There are definitely several intricately-planned designs that can be seen on Google Earth.
One of the most impressive is a guitar-shaped forest in Cordoba, Argentina.
This so-called "forest" is actually a field that a man created in memory of his wife.
The husband, Pedro Martin Ureta , laughed when his wife brought up the idea of planting
a field in that would form a shape that people could see from an aerial view.
But, he ultimately agreed.
Unfortunately, she suddenly passed away shortly after conjuring the idea, and Pedro was heartbroken,
not only that she wasn't there but also because he never got to fulfill her request.
So, he decided to make his late love's dreams come true and planted the field himself.
He chose the shape of a guitar because his wife loved music.
Pedro planted over 7,000 trees and took years to complete the project.
Nowadays, people everywhere get to enjoy the stunning field.
Number 7.
Potash Ponds, Utah
This strikingly blue area stands out among the surrounding red rock in Utah.
At first glance on Google Earth, you might think that these ponds are a technical glitch.
Nevertheless, these formations are evaporation ponds for the Moab potash mine.
The Potash Ponds are beautiful, but they have a bit of a morbid past.
The plant was constructed in the early 1960s and opened in 1963 as an underground mine.
In a terrible accident, 25 miners became trapped in the pit, and only seven kept their lives.
To help correct the issues that resulted in these fatalities, the system was changed,
implementing solar evaporation and solution mining.
So, nowadays, they pump water from the Colorado River into the mine, which dissolves the potash.
Once it's dissolved, the solution is injected into the evaporation ponds so the minerals
can be collected more easily.
Number 6.
Kraken Near Deception Island
One of the strangest things on Google Earth is something whose existence has been questioned
for centuries.
Just southwest of Deception Island near the Antarctic coast is an enormous creature that
many believe is a real-life Kraken.
If you use the Google ruler tool, then you'll see that this beast measures about 100 feet
long!
For those who don't know, the Kraken is a legendary sea monster from Nordic folklore
that causes mayhem for sailors.
Many people believe that the mystery began after giant squids were first spotted.
Considering these cephalopods can grow up to 50 feet long, it's not surprising that
people would be terrified at first glance.
Number 5.
Shipwreck, Basrah, Iraq
If you zoom into to this interesting Google Earth site, you'll only be scratching the
surface of a fairly serious issue in this part of Iraq.
This particular shipwreck is in the Shatt Al-Arab river is shocking because half of
the boat is still out of the water.
But, this is only one of the numerous wrecks you can see in this river.
If you look further northeast, you'll come across another wreckage site where almost
the entire vessel is visible.
Even further down, you'll see a pile-up of ships that are still upright, but they look
extremely unorganized, making you question whether or not they're abandoned.
Although the number of vessels is confusing and strange, the impact they have on the environment
is of more significant concern.
Many of them are believed to be oil tankers, which could be harmful to marine life and
have a negative effect on fisheries.
Number 4.
Ayers Rock, Australia
Another odd-looking Google Earth site is Ayers Rock in Australia.
It's also called Uluru and is made of sandstone.
The closest town to this natural formation is Alice Springs.
Ayers Rock doesn't only look intriguing, however; it's also very important to the native people
living in the area.
There are a few origin stories about its formation as well.
One suggests that the land was featureless once upon a time, and after beings - plants,
animals, and people - traveled across it, the landscape was created.
Another tale says that Ayers Rock was formed by two boys who enjoyed playing in the mud
after a rainstorm.
A third story suggests that the landmass was created by "serpent beings" that were at war
around the area.
Lastly, there's a tale that describes two ancestral-spirit tribes that became distracted
by "beautiful Sleepy Lizard Women" on their way to a feast.
Since the apparitions never arrived, the hosts angrily "sang evil" into a sculpture made
of mud, which turned into a live dingo.
After the tribes fought, and both leaders met their makers, the Earth became elevated
from grief and formed Ayers Rock.
But, if the history doesn't sound weird enough, then looking at the surreal structure is sure
to make you question whether or not Uluru is real.
Number 3.
Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming
One look at this colorful formation and you'll know precisely why it's a popular search on
Google Earth.
With a bright orange ring surrounding a turquoise blue and green interior, this spring is sure
to catch anyone's eye - especially in contrast to the surrounding grayish-white rock.
The Grand Prismatic Spring is located in Yellowstone National Park and is the United States' most
sizable hot spring.
It's the world's third biggest.
This spring was named for its various hues, which are the same as the rainbow effect created
by white light through a prism.
The Grand Prismatic Spring colors are the result of mineral-filled water and microbial
mats, and it even changes hues throughout the seasons, from red to dark green.
Although you probably wouldn't want to take a sip of this incredibly hot water, you technically
could without getting sick.
Since it is so hot in the center of the spring, the water is sterile.
Number 2.
UTA Flight 772 Site, Niger
After zooming in on this spot in the middle of the Sahara Desert, you might think somebody
made an enormous stencil of an airplane.
But, the truth about this unique site is actually quite sad.
UTA Flight 772 was an international passenger flight going from Brazzaville, located in
the People's Republic of the Congo, to Charles de Gaulle Airport, which is in Paris, France.
In a horrible turn of events, an explosive went off in the cargo area of the aircraft.
The blast caused the plane to break into pieces over the Sahara near Bilma, Niger . Debris
from the flight was scattered around hundreds of square miles, and nobody survived the incident,
including 14 crew members and 156 passengers.
What you see in the location now was created in 2007 to honor the people who were lost,
as well as their families.
It is also located a little over six miles away from where the plane actually was to
reserve the site's sacredness.
Number 1.
Hippos, Katavi National Park, Tanzania
Do you ever feel like taking a safari without leaving the comfort of your home?
If you said "yes," then you're in luck.
Google Earth is a wonderful tool to use if you want to see some of the world's most interesting
landmarks.
But, it's also a convenient way to check out wildlife if you're looking to escape work
for a few minutes.
In the Katavi National Park in Tanzania, there is a spot that stands out from the rest of
the blue-green vegetation.
If you zoom in closely to a section of the Ikuu River, you can peek at a herd of hippos
enjoying a nice dip in the water.
It isn't often that you get to see these giant creatures.
And the fact that they weigh anywhere from 2,800 pounds to over 7,000 pounds might be
the reason you can see these monstrous creatures from so high in the air.
Although, this could be as close as you want to get to a group of hippos.
They are incredibly aggressive and can run up to 19 miles per hour for small amounts
of time.
So, you should keep your distances in real life, but feel free to study these guys as
long as you'd like on Google Earth.
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