Incredible Underwater Footage:
A massive octopus hovers menacingly behind a diver.
The breathtaking picture is shared and commented on thousands of times.
But is the fascinating recording really real?
The photo of the diver behind which a large octopus appears is a fake.
The image was stitched together from two different photos.
The photo of the diver comes from the Instagram channel of a hobby diver.
The octopus was captured by Instagram account Krystal Klear – a professional underwater photographer based in Florida.
The digital combination of the two images creates a new image that is more impressive than its components.
There are numerous manipulated nature shots on social media that are designed to generate likes or clicks. Another example is a manipulated photo of the mighty crocodile “Maximo” – the animal was made even larger than it already is through image manipulation. The fake photos are often used as teaser images for videos, which then show a different content.
But no matter how spectacular or well done – a fake remains a fake.
How do we check videos for manipulation in the editorial office? It is important to look at the details. The individual frames of a video often reveal whether a video has been edited. We take a close look at each image and enlarge individual sections. Indications of a fake are, for example: lack of motion blur, unnatural shadows or editing errors. The general rule at stern is: Seriousness before speed. We always double-check facts and material thoroughly before publishing them. For this we work with the cross-editorial “Team Verification” together with RTL, NTV, RTL2, Radio NRW.