I love using Google Earth because it lets me explore the entire planet without even leaving my chair. And while scanning around, some people have come across the weirdest, most unexplained things. Imagine finding giant animal-shaped land formations or strange patterns in remote deserts. The world is full of these odd, unexpected wonders that you can only spot from way up high.
Whether these strange sights are natural, man-made, or a bit of both, they always make me stop and wonder. So, here are 27 of the most bizarre and fascinating things that Google Earth has uncovered!
1. The Badlands Guardian, Canada
In Alberta, Canada, the landscape appears to form a near-perfect profile of a human face, complete with a headdress, as seen from Google Earth. Dubbed the “Badlands Guardian,” this eerie formation was naturally shaped by wind and water erosion, but it looks so strikingly human it’s hard to believe nature alone was responsible.
2. The Giant Pink Bunny, Italy
On a hill in Prata Nevoso, Italy, Google Earth users were shocked to find a giant 200-foot-long pink rabbit. This enormous plush toy was created by a group of artists and left for hikers to find. Though the bunny has decayed over the years, its strange pink outline still haunts the Italian countryside.
3. The Desert “Nazca Lines,” China
In the Gobi Desert, Google Earth has revealed mysterious large-scale patterns similar to the famous Nazca Lines in Peru. These massive grids, seemingly drawn on the desert floor, have sparked countless conspiracy theories. Some believe they are military in nature, while others think they might be astronomical.
4. The Airplane Graveyard, Arizona
Near Tucson, Arizona, Google Earth shows an astonishing sight: a massive boneyard where hundreds of old military aircraft are laid to rest. The precise arrangement of the planes makes it look like a carefully planned pattern, turning this scrapyard into an unexpected piece of art visible only from above.
5. The Heart-Shaped Island, Croatia
Off the coast of Croatia, Google Earth users were charmed by the discovery of a small island shaped like a near-perfect heart. The island, called Galešnjak, has been nicknamed “Lover’s Island” and has become a popular tourist destination for romantic getaways, thanks to its unique shape.
6. The Kazakhstan Pentagram, Kazakhstan
In a remote part of Kazakhstan, Google Earth users spotted a giant pentagram etched into the landscape. The five-pointed star has sparked a range of theories, from secret occult rituals to military bases. In reality, it’s likely part of an old park designed in the Soviet era.
7. The Lips in Sudan
In the Sudanese desert, Google Earth revealed a land formation that looks like a pair of red, plump human lips. The natural ridges and valleys of the landscape formed this odd sight, which has fascinated viewers with its strange, almost too-perfect shape.
8. The Largest Pool in the World, Chile
At the San Alfonso del Mar resort in Chile, you’ll find what’s recognized as the largest swimming pool on Earth. Spanning nearly a kilometer, the pool is visible from space, and its glistening blue waters stand out against the surrounding landscape, making it an eye-catching sight on Google Earth.
9. A Ship in the Desert, Egypt
In the middle of the Egyptian desert, a shipwreck sits frozen in time. The SS Jassim, a Bolivian cargo ship, ran aground on the coast of Sudan in 2003. Its rusting remains are still visible today, stranded in the desert sands and only discoverable from an aerial view.
10. The Uffington White Horse, England
On the hills of southern England, the Uffington White Horse—a prehistoric chalk figure of a horse—can be spotted from space. This ancient carving, believed to be over 3,000 years old, stands out starkly against the green countryside and has long fascinated historians and tourists alike.
11. A Flying Car, Australia
In Perth, Australia, Google Earth once captured an image of what appeared to be a car hovering above the road. This strange sight led to wild speculation, but most likely, it was the result of a glitch in Google’s imaging software, where two different frames were layered on top of each other.
12. The Sprawling Guitar-Shaped Forest, Argentina
A farmer in Argentina spent years planting trees in a guitar-shaped pattern as a tribute to his late wife. Visible from Google Earth, this lush green guitar is a beautiful reminder of one man’s love, stretching out over acres of land with trees carefully arranged to form the instrument’s strings and body.
13. The Coca-Cola Logo in Chile
One of the world’s most recognizable logos, the Coca-Cola brand, can be seen etched into the hillside in Chile. This 400-foot-long logo was created from over 70,000 bottles to celebrate the soda company’s 100th anniversary, and it has become a quirky landmark in the region.
14. The Giant Target in Nevada
In the Nevada desert, you can find what looks like a giant target painted on the ground. Its purpose remains unclear, but it may have been part of military tests or experiments. Regardless, its strange presence in the middle of nowhere has raised eyebrows and puzzled viewers.
15. The Mysterious Wheel Structures, Jordan
In the deserts of Jordan, ancient stone circles, nicknamed “Desert Kites” or “Wheels,” have baffled researchers. These geometric formations are believed to date back thousands of years, but their true purpose remains unknown. Google Earth gives an impressive view of these mysterious structures.
16. The Utah Solar Spiral
In Utah, a massive spiral structure sits in the salt flats of the Great Basin Desert. This artwork, known as the “Spiral Jetty,” was created by an artist in the 1970s. Visible from above, it creates a striking contrast against the barren landscape, making it a strange yet mesmerizing sight on Google Earth.
17. The Disappearing Lake, Kazakhstan
Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan is one of the world’s strangest bodies of water. It’s partly freshwater and partly saltwater, and its size seems to shrink and expand depending on the time of year, almost as if the lake is playing tricks on anyone observing it from Google Earth.
18. The Blood Lake, Iraq
One of the most unsettling sights on Google Earth is the so-called “Blood Lake” in Iraq. The lake’s waters appeared a deep, blood-red color in satellite images, leading to much speculation. Though the reason behind this eerie coloration is likely industrial waste or natural minerals, it still sends a shiver down the spine.
19. The Whale in the Desert, Namibia
In the Namib Desert, Google Earth users spotted what looked like a whale’s skeleton lying in the sand. The strange thing? It’s located miles away from the sea. This haunting sight is the result of an old whale that got stranded long ago, with its skeleton preserved by the desert air.
20. The Alien Face, Antarctica
Antarctica is home to one of the strangest discoveries on Google Earth: what appears to be the face of an alien carved into the ice. This weirdly human-like face has stirred up UFO theories, though it’s probably just a natural formation created by wind erosion.
21. The Mysterious “Eye,” Argentina
In the middle of a swamp in Argentina, Google Earth users found a perfect circular island, often referred to as “The Eye.” What makes it strange is that the island appears to rotate on its own axis, and the surrounding water forms a perfect circle, sparking theories about its mysterious origin.
22. The Underwater Plane Wreck, Bahamas
Off the coast of the Bahamas, Google Earth revealed the wreckage of an airplane lying beneath the waves. This hidden treasure from the deep may have been lost for decades before being spotted from above, adding to the allure of hidden mysteries lurking in our oceans.
23. The Star Fort, Netherlands
From above, the Netherlands’ Fort Bourtange looks like a star-shaped fortress. Built in the 16th century, this fort’s unique shape was designed for defense purposes but is now a fascinating sight for anyone scanning the globe from the comfort of their home.
24. The Drowning Church, Venezuela
In Venezuela’s Lake Pao, the spire of an old church can be seen rising from the water. After the surrounding area was flooded to create a reservoir, the church was submerged, and only its top remains visible—a haunting reminder of the past.
25. The Desert Spiral, Egypt
In the sands of Egypt’s Eastern Desert, a massive spiral pattern mysteriously appears on Google Earth. Known as “Desert Breath,” it was created by artists in the 1990s but is so large that it can only truly be appreciated from the sky.
26. The Giant Eye, Sahara Desert
In the middle of the Sahara Desert, the Richat Structure, also known as the “Eye of the Sahara,” is a circular geological formation that looks like a massive eye staring up at the sky. While geologists think it was created by erosion, it remains a mind-boggling sight when seen from space.
27. The Face in the Australian Outback
In the middle of the Australian Outback, Google Earth captured a strange formation resembling a human face carved into the land. This naturally occurring phenomenon looks so much like a face that it has been dubbed the “Marree Man,” though its true origin remains a mystery.
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Katy Willis is a writer, master herbalist, master gardener, and certified canine nutritionist who has been writing since 2002. She’s finds joy in learning new and interesting things, and finds history, science, and nature endlessly fascinating.
