FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Face-Shaped Rock Formations In California?

An image shared on Facebook claims to show two rocky outcrops in the shape of faces located in Pacific Grove, California.

Verdict: False

The image is a digitally altered version of a photo taken in Thailand.

Fact Check:

The Facebook image, which has been shared over 34,000 times, shows two adjacent cliffs that appear to form the shape of human faces. “They are on the shoreline of Pacific Grove, California, and the most romantic spot in the United States,” reads the image’s caption.

The image is digitally altered and does not show a location in California. A reverse image search reveals the original, unedited version of the photo can be found in a December 2013 Daily Mail article titled “Blessed in Thailand, the hypnotic land of sublime islands and swanky resorts.” Notably, the cliffs are not face-shaped in the original image. The article goes on to identify the location of the photo as Phi Phi Le, an island in Thailand.

Getty Images has published several photos of various cliffs on the island, none of which resemble the Facebook image. (RELATED: Does This Photo Show A Tornado In Wasco, California?)

There is a rock formation known as the “kissing rock” located in Pacific Grove, California that has been called the “most romantic spot in America,” according to Atlas Obscura. The rock does not resemble the image shared on Facebook.

This is not the first time a viral post has claimed an altered image shows a real location. Check Your Fact recently debunked a viral image that claimed to show Peru’s “Rainbow Mountain” but actually showed an altered image of a cliff in Italy.

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