An image authentically depicts an underwater structure in Kootenay Lake, located in British Columbia, Canada.
Social media users circulated an image in May 2025 that purportedly depicted a strange underwater structure on the bottom of Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada.
Users shared the image heavily across Facebook (archived, archived, archived) and Instagram (archived, archived). Some posts sharing the image suggested the photo was taken by “a pilot flying over Kootenay Lake” who “spotted something extraordinary beneath the glazing waters: a 200-foot-wide geometric formation, etched into the lakebed as an ancient fingerprint.”
The posts also suggested there was a debate about the discovery’s origins: “Was this a forgotten relic? A message in stone? Or simply nature’s cold handiwork?”
Despite the elaborate theories that accompanied some of the claims featuring the image, the photo users suggested authentically depicted an ancient underwater structure in Kootenay Lake is fake.
There is no evidence to support the claim that this structure exists in that specific lake or any other, nor does any other photo of the structure in question exist. Additionally, no credible news outlet reported on the alleged discovery.
Snopes put the image in question through the AI-detection platform Hive Moderation, which revealed a 99% chance this image was made using generative artificial intelligence.
(Hive Moderation)
Websites about tourism in Kootenay Lake offer no mention of any underwater structures despite the availability of flyover tours and boat tours that would undoubtedly monetize sightseeing of the purported ancient architectural marvel.
Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism showcases a variety of video tours of the area on its YouTube channel, and there is no mention or shot of the underwater structure. Further, a geological survey of the region does not mention such a structure.
The rumor that a mysterious structure was found beneath the waters of Kootenay Lake has been shared for years, though with a different image than the AI-generated one shown in this particular claim.
The 2025 rumor appeared to be inspired by a previous “discovery” of “ancient underwater petroglyphs” that originated from an authentic image captured by a drone photographer in 2013, who posted his shot with the comment, “Strange artefacts [sic] in the lake.” Some posts about the stone labyrinth structure featured in the image claimed it was discovered by a pilot, phrasing reminiscent of the 2025 claim.
For example, one Instagram post (archived) wrote of the 2013 photo, “Accidentally captured by a pilot, this intriguing structure has many people wondering about its origins and significance. Is it an ancient artifact from early civilizations or a modern artistic creation? The hidden story of this submerged enigma invites speculation and contemplation as the community seeks to uncover its secrets!”
An AFP fact-check declared the image was actually a stone formation rather than a petroglyph, as a petroglyph is defined as a stone carving rather than a structure. In addition, experts suggested it was a modern creation. This was supported by comments made by those familiar with the region in various posts about this photograph, citing a local artist who went by “Sasquatch” as the creator of the stone labyrinth in the late 1990s and offered alleged alternative angles of the structure during a lower tide.
An obituary for Richard “Sasquatch” Roberts dated 2004 can be found on the Internet Archive and reads in part, “The world was his playground; he never missed an opportunity to explore, rearrange, or decorate the world around him. Every object he encountered, from cow sacrums to toilet plungers, were privileged to be turned into works of art under his hands.”
While the photo shared online in 2025 was created with AI, the language of the claim and rumor that Kootenay Lake holds ancient ruins of a distant civilization seems to continue a rumor that began with the stone labyrinth allegedly built by “Sasquatch” that was authentically captured on camera in 2013.