These Photos Are Not Related to Hurricane Ian
The Claim
In the photos, sharks and other marine life can be seen swimming in Florida floodwaters after Hurricane Ian.
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Emerging story
Photos of sharks, false killer whales, alligators, and pythons purportedly showing marine life swimming in floodwaters in Florida after Hurricane Ian have recently circulated on social media.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar has investigated the claim and found it to be misleading.
The photos circulating are not related to Hurricane Ian hitting Cuba and Florida.
Toronto's Royal Bank Plaza Flood
The first photo of sharks swimming at the bottom of escalators was found to be old and altered to include sharks. The original photo was shot in June 2012 at Toronto's Royal Bank Plaza during a flood of the plaza's concourse.
The photo was taken after heavy rains in Toronto caused Union Station to close, leaving thousands of passengers stranded during rush hour.
Photo description: The original image does not feature any sharks.
2017 Old Giant Python
The second image of a giant python in floodwaters is not related to Hurricane Ian. It was published on the Daily Mail's website in the year 2017.
Although our team was unable to confirm whether the image was genuine or edited, it is unrelated to Hurricane Ian.
Everglades National Park Floods
The second image is a video screenshot of an alligator crossing a flooded street in Everglades National Park. The video was uploaded to the internet in November 2020, two years before Hurricane Ian.
The image of false killer whales was uploaded online by WSVN 7 News in January 2017. According to the report, the largest mass stranding of this species in Florida occurred over the course of a weekend with nearly 100 false killer whales washing up off the coast of Everglades National Park.
Photo Description: A screenshot from the TV report.
The circulating photo of the fake killer whales was published on other websites along with articles about the incident.
The photo was published by MOTE Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, which reported that 95 false killer whales had been stranded off the coast of Monroe County in South Florida.
Seventy-two died naturally, ten were humanely euthanized, and 13 mysteriously disappeared.
Ongoing Misinformation Pertain Hurricane Ian
As Hurricane Ian ravaged Cuba and made its way toward Florida, images, and videos of flooding, downed trees, and destroyed buildings were shared widely across social media platforms.
Old hurricane and storm videos were posted online, as well as images of sharks and marine species. Many recently shared images have been discovered to be either manipulated or outdated by our team.
We also debunked a series of photos shared by users and news agencies purportedly showing the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Cuba.
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