30 Of The Most Amusing And Ridiculous Moments Ever Captured By Google Maps (New Pics)
InterviewYou don’t fully realize how peculiar our world is until you start using the internet. It’s not just the memes that you might find on social media that are strange—real life is pretty bizarre, too! And some of that weirdness gets immortalized in the places that you might least expect: on Google Earth and Google Maps.
That’s where the ‘Weird Google Earth’ project comes in. It curates some of the funniest, oddest, and most mysterious snaps that people stumble upon using the two tools, and it makes Planet Earth seem like Alice’s Wonderland. Scroll down to see the world from a bunch of new perspectives. Don’t forget to upvote your fave pics and follow the WGE socials if you enjoy their content!
Nik Ianevitch, the founder and curator of 'Weird Google Earth,' was kind enough to tell Bored Panda about the project. Check out our full interview with him below!
More info: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WeirdGoogleEarth.com
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"Smile Into The Camera". Location: Fenning-Siedlung, Austria
According to Ianevitch, who runs 'Weird Google Earth,' there "wasn't any particular inspiration" behind the project itself. "Google Maps was new [back] then and many of the things that it showed looked out of place," he told Bored Panda via email.
The curator gave us a few notable examples of the weird and mysterious things that he and others spotted. He drew our attention to the circular irrigation rings in the desert or bomb targets in Nevada, the pink bunny in Italy, and the Japanese bird people.
"Party Animals". Location: Enzing, Austria
"Standing Cat". Location: Henndorf Am Wallersee, Austria
"Is this my house? Last thing I remember is I was at a rave in the woods with some deer.."
"I soon realized there were loads of locations that are weird, out-of-place, even provocative," he said. " I started collecting those and very soon had enough to share with others. So the project kind of 'just happened.'"
Bored Panda was interested in getting Ianevitch's thoughts on why the project draws internet users' attention. "The content resonates with many [people] because it is always fresh, captivating, in short, bite-sized pieces, easy to consume, and easy to share," he told us.
"Also, I always make sure that real coordinates are posted, so people can go to Google Maps or Street View and poke around for themselves. Map embeds are also always there," he shared how this sort of convenience helps people enjoy the content even more.
"Robin Hood". Location: Nottingham, England
"Busted". Location: Piaquara, Brazil
Looked like they were being arrested by an ice cream truck driver at first.
"Hidey Spidey". Location: Manchester, England
We were also curious how the curator of 'Weird Google Earth' would classify a truly good post, worthy of the entire project. "A truly good post is one that people come back to over the years," he said that something that really takes the cake for him is the snapshot of the Japanese bird people.
Meanwhile, the content that enjoys the most success tends to either hit a nerve or to starts a discussion. "A little controversy is great, too!" he told Bored Panda.
"It is very rewarding to have such posts and see them have a life of their own. The best ones are those where people have discussions in the comments!" he said, giving an example of a flying rabbit.
Ianevitch said that new fans of the WGE project should simply come to the site, browse it, and enjoy themselves. "Oh, and if you like it—share it with your friends!" he urged.
"I love it when people submit their finds on the website—in fact, we get quite a few of our posts through that mechanism. So if they have things to share, they should not keep those to themselves.
"Dab With Style". Location: Victoria, Australia
"Serpent D’ocean". Location: Saint-Brevin-Les-Pins, France
"Confessions To The Chicken Farmer". Location: Newbury, New Hampshire, USA
The ‘Weird Google Earth’ project has been up and running for over a decade now, which shows how dedicated the curators are and how much they enjoy what they do.
The project’s Twitter page, for instance, was launched all the way back in April 2013. Since then, WGE has carved out a small but significant niche for itself online: it has a dedicated community of followers who enjoy the freshest finds.
Over 2.2k people follow the project’s Twitter page and another 1.4k follow it on Facebook. All the numerous entries also end up being shared on Instagram, as well as the WGE website, so that everyone has access to the full archive of mysterious, and out-of-place pics, no matter which of the social sites they visit.
According to the curator of ‘Weird Google Earth,’ their goal is to “dig up” the weirdest and most hilarious Google Earth and Google Maps finds in order to share these discoveries with the wider public.
"Italy-Ception". Location: Umbria, Italy
"Panda Man". Location: Lviv, Ukraine
"Into The Unknown". Location: Vera Cruz, Mexico
However, it’s not just the curator working hard. You can “report a curiosity” on the project’s website as well. And if you’re lucky, what you’ve stumbled upon will get featured. Though if you’re a bit shy (or simply enjoy your privacy), you have the option of having your find published without your real name being shown.
Google Earth has been around far longer than many folks realize! It was launched on June 10, 2001, over 22 years ago. And here we were, thinking that it was still a fairly new computer program. Time sure does fly.
The idea behind Google Earth is simple: it uses satellite imagery, aerial photography, and GIS data to superimpose it on a three-dimensional globe. Internet users can use the program to look at landscapes and cities from various angles.
"Everywhere All At Once". Location: Occitanie, France
"Hide And Seek This Face". Location: Palma, Spain
"Baegaebong Hotel". Location: Samjiyon, North Korea
What this means, essentially, is that anyone who’s curious and has an adventurous spirit can explore practically the entire globe… so long as they have an internet connection, as well as plenty of patience to navigate from area to area, field to field, hill to hill, and street to street. And that patience is well-rewarded if the photos in this list are anything to go by.
"Dog Ritual". Location: Henndorf Am Wallersee, Austria
"Devils Marbles". Location: Warumungu, Australia
Maybe they mean Devil’s “Marbles” ? 🤷🏻♀️lol I don’t know
Load More Replies...Karlu Karlu/the Devils Marbles are of great cultural and spiritual significance to the Aboriginal traditional owners of the land, and the reserve protects one of the oldest religious sites in the world as well as the natural rock formations found there. Karlu Karlu is the local Aboriginal term for both the rock features and the surrounding area. The Aboriginal term translates as "round boulders" and refers to the large boulders found mainly in the western side of the reserve. The English name for the boulders derives from a quote by John Ross during the 1870 Australian Overland Telegraph Line expedition, where he said "This is the Devil’s country; he’s even emptied his bag of marbles around the place!"
"Giant Spider". Location: Tainan, Taiwan
In 2019, Google announced that the program covers over 97% of the entire planet, having captured a jaw-dropping 10 million miles of Street View imagery. However, you can’t see everything and anything using Google Earth. There are some national security and privacy concerns. For instance, you wouldn’t be able to navigate your way around the locations where you might find military and other sensitive facilities.
"Magnificent Pier". Location: Brighton, England
"Man Hanging Out". Location: Prague, Czech Republic
"Skull Shore". Location: Biliran, Philippines
Google Earth does more than what it says on the tin, however. The project also allows you to travel across the Moon, look at an infrared map of Mars, and see what the Earth looks like when it’s nighttime. But probably our favorite tool is Google Sky, which lets you navigate around the cosmos. It’s a lot of fun to play around with all the different tools. It’s also something fun to do on your next coffee break.
"Hanging On". Location: Michalow, Poland
"Sunken Car". Location: Creole, Louisiana, USA
More common than you think. Those canals are treacherous, especially at night. My mom and aunt were roadtripping thru Louisiana once and their car broke down in bayou country. My mom yelled at my aunt to not stand so close to the road and my aunt just told her, I'd be more afraid of what's in the water.
"Penguin Season". Location: Danco Island, Antarctica
Meanwhile, Google Earth’s younger sibling, Google Maps, was launched on February 8, 2005, 18 years ago. Google Maps is a web mapping platform that is very similar to Google Earth, but is focused on Street View, viewing traffic conditions in real-time, and planning your routes whether you’re traveling by car, public transportation, bike, plane, or on foot.
"Penguins Crossing". Location: Oamaru, New Zealand
"Battle Of The Century". Location: Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
"Abandoned City Of Pripyat". Location: Pripyat, Ukraine
Odds are that if you’re reading this, you’ve used the program at least once before. As of 2020, a whopping billion people use Google Maps every single month. The application offers a top-down view of areas, but you can also use its Street View to navigate around the locations you’d like to explore.
"Sus Street". Location: Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
"Childhood Nostalgia". Location: Tijuana, Mexico
"Windowless Home". Location: North Adams, Massachusetts, USA
It looks more like a business of some kind. There's a sign out front.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about the ‘Weird Google Earth’ project, dear Pandas. Which of the snapshots did you enjoy the most? Which ones did you find the funniest and/or spookiest? Have you ever found anything odd while using Google Earth or Google Maps? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments.
Meanwhile, for some more ‘Weird Google Earth,’ check out Bored Panda’s previous feature right here. And for some ‘Google Maps Oddities,’ take a peek at our piece right over here. Happy adventuring!
"Beelden Aan Zee". Location: The Hague, Netherlands
"This Or That Street". Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Every time I see this I laugh same with that and the other one. Ok i’ll see myself out🙃
"A Dabbing Project". Location: Lyon, France
That would totally be me in the back, giving the peace sign instead of dabbing, lol
"Giant Bucket Of Fish". Location: Emilia-Romagna, Italy
"The Birds Got Google". Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
"Liminal Train Station". Location: Kyoto, Japan
"Spooky Season Is Here". Location: Hamnavoe, Scotland
"Is There Treasure Here?". Location: Whicham, UK
"Looks Like He Drank Too Much". Location: Birmingham, England
"The Windows Are Eyes To The Soul". Location: Lazio, Italy
"Two Totoros". Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Cute never watched studio giblie (cant spell) which one should I watch first
"Cool Street Art". Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
"Working Dog". Location: Fenning-Siedlung, Austria
"Non Playable Character Parking?". Vancouver, Washington, USA
"Fort Henricus". Location: Steenbergen, Netherlands
This isn't unusual at all, start forts (or Bastions) were built all over from the 15th through the 19th centuries.
"Shenanigans". Location: Liverpool, England
I swear to God I'll pistol whip the next guy who says "Shenanigans!
"Trailing Along". Location: Chiapas, Mexico
Don't you just hate it when you get TP stuck to your shoe and don't realise?
"The Eye Of Sahara". Location: Chinguetti, Mauritania
"Paultons Park Home Of Peppa Pig World". Location: Romsey, UK
"Face Plant". Location: Vilafranca Del Penedes, Catalonia
"Harry’s House". Location: Holmes Chapel, England
Had to Google it.....it part of the Harry Styles walking tour apparently
"Money Maker". Location: Padova, Italy
"Google maps" huh? Since when does Google maps go inside someone's office?
"Where Is Dino Going?". Location: Milan, Italy
"Peruvian Desert Art". Location: Tacna, Peru
"Running Horses Not Allowed". Location: Cornish, New Hampshire, USA
This is the longest wooden bridge in the United States (460' 140m), built in 1866.
"Uta Flight 772 Memorial". Location: Nguigmi, Niger
"Crash In California". Location: Oak Run, California, USA
Nothing to see here, only a Jeep melting into the pavement, move on.
"Life Imitates Art". Location: Antarctic Ice Shield, Antarctica
"Kitty Doesn’t Want To Go". Location: Joniskis, Lithuania
"The Kingdom Of Permafrost". Location: Yakutsk, Russia
"What Are You Doing There?". Location: Solna, Sweden
"Whale Mural". Location: Urayasu, Japan
"Sunken Car At Sea". Location: Fresh Creek, The Bahamas
"Out Of Place". Location: Mungeranie, South Australia
Just gotta get chicken and the cows and be opening very very soon. The building though???
"Extreme Accident". New South Wales, Australia
"Spiderman No Pooping". Location: Surabaya, Indonesia
"Ghost Town’s Last Supper". Location: Rhyolite, Nevada, USA
"House Of Forgotten Memories". Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
"Burn Your TV". Location: St. Ouen, France
"Watch Where You Step". Location: Santa Catarina, Mexico
"Disney World Automotive Version". Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
"Traffic Cone Hat". Location: Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada
"X Marks The Spot". Location: Lyndon, Australia
"Fish Out Of Water". Location: Altstadt, Germany
"Darth Vader In Lviv". Location: Lviv, Ukraine
"Fear God". Location: Adamawa, Nigeria
"Batmobile". Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
"Crater Closeup". Location: Vulcano, Italy
"Barking Up The Wrong Tree". Location: Enzing, Austria
"Unusual Pool". Location: Edmonton, Canada
"Creepy Bar". Location: Manchester, England
"Falling On A Bench". Colchester, UK
"Not Quite Christmas Yet". Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
"Giant Faucet Fountain". Location: Belgrade, Serbia
"Submarine A615 Baby". Location: Odessa, Ukraine
Ha, I've actually seen this thing. It's at the "Memorial to heroic defence of Odessa - 411th Battery", which is a park full of military stuff on the site of an old battery that saw action during the Siege of Odesa in 1941. Besides the submarine they have another ship, an armored train, an armored tram, some tanks, lots of artillery pieces including a coastal gun in it's original bunker, aircraft, mines, torpedoes, you name it. Located here: 46°22'28.2"N 30°43'17.3"E
"Cool Jacket". Location: New York City, New York, USA
"Remnants Of A Home". Location: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
"The Sky Sends Its Love". Location: Kamchatka Krai, Russia
Not the right time to post this one. Three children died in yesterday's attacks on the cafe in Kramatorsk. From the skies of Russia has come planes carrying missiles that fall on hospitals, schools, residential buildings, humanitarian corridors, power and water plants, and bunkers full of children (specifically the opera theatre in Mariupol clearly marked "CHILDREN" in Russian). I see no love in this picture from Kamchatka Krai, Russia.
"Creepy Hanging Man". Location: Cochabamba, Olivia
"Bonneville Salt Flats". Tooele County, Utah, USA
Ooh... usually photos of Bonneville have a bunch of cars and motorcycles ruining the shot.
"Nacho Libre Lite". Location: Big Water, Utah, USA
"Creepy Plank Face". Location: Canoa, Ecuador
"Motorcycle Gymnastics". Location: Pagoh, Malaysia
"Clones In Moscow". Location: Moscow, Russia
"Wrong Way". Location: Zagreb, Croatia
"Animal Diners". Location: Riverside, California, USA
"Road To Heaven". Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA
I can assure you that the road to Heaven does not pass anywhere near Allentown.
"Breaking In The Office". Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
"Dino Archway". Location: Adana, Turkey
"Skydiving Into The Cemetery". Location: Henndorf Am Wallersee, Austria
"Super Viagra". Location: Sonora, Mexico
"A Meme Guy And Tipped Truck". Location: Bangkok, Thailand
"Sus Getups". Location: Manchester, England
"Moments Before Disaster". Location: Bogota, Colombia
"Lady(Beetle)bug". Bangor, Maine, USA
"Nick Pajamas". Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
"The Right Way?". Location: Kingwood, Texas, USA
"Lava In South Sudan?". Location: Pibor, South Sudan
"The Inside Of A Slide". Location: Dallas, Texas, USA
"Strange Bathroom Sculpture". Location: Samara, Russia
"House Of Balls". Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
"Lone Prada". Location: Valentine, Texas, USA
"Spiderman Drive". Location: Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
"Strange Lights". Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA
"Steep Incline". Location: Mascoutah Township, Illinois, USA
"Spiderman In Mexico". Location: Michoacan, Mexico
"Simpsons Graffiti". Location: Billinghurst, Argentina
"House Of Horrors". Location: St. Petersburg, Russia
"Outlines On The Road". Location: Spring Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada
"Mini Eiffel". Location: Budapest, Hungary
There's a bigger one in Slobozia, Romania, built by an eccentric millionaire who also built himself the farmhouse from the "Dallas" tv series. Now both are sadly in disrepair since his death. Located here: 44°33'27.1"N 27°19'58.9"E
"Enjoying The Tractor". Location: Fort Worth, Texas, USA
"Sunken Plane?". Location: The Bahamas, North America
No. The aircraft was flying beneath the satellite that took the imagery. It appears ghostly because of the color separation, it only appeared in one of the images that get combined to form a color satellite photo.
"A Whale Or Waves?". Location: Laje De Santos, Brazil
"Sus People". Location: Norilsk, Russia
"“Person” Hanging From Electric Post". Location: El Alto, Bolivia
"No Texting And Driving". Location: Mckenzie, Tennessee, USA
You'd be pulled over in a heartbeat for this in Massachusetts. It's not fair to others who may be killed by the force of your dead body flying through the air.
"Kids These Days". Location: Bruges, Belgium
"Bayrak". Location: Kaynakkoy, Cyprus
"Walmart Salutes You". Location: Bellevue, Nebraska, USA
For this to make sense, you have to understand that, to Walmart, "freedom" means "the ability to earn unlimited profit and underpay workers because we lobbied Congress for fewer labor regulations and lower corporate taxes".
"South Sf Salt Ponds". Location: Newark, California, USA
"Tiny Wheels". Location: Perris, California, USA
"Can You Spot The Message?". Location: Houston, Texas, USA
"Spot Your Icon". Location: New York City, New York, USA
"Bird Paradise". Location: Sand Island, Midway Islands, USA
"Star Of David Crop Art?". Location: Lone Pine Unified School District, California, USA
"Land Of The Birds". Location: Sand Island, Midway Islands, USA
"On The Train Tracks With Family". Location: Mansfield, Texas, USA
"Gigi And Bella Hadid’s Coachella Rental". Location: Riverside County, California, USA
I think they understood it perfectly, because the assignment was "go copy content from some other website, then paste it here".
Load More Replies...I think they understood it perfectly, because the assignment was "go copy content from some other website, then paste it here".
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