Real or AI? · Latest checks · Checked 3 October 2026

A whale surfaces between two boats in rough seas: real or AI?

Short answer: this was made with AI. The evidence is set out below.

Posted on X by @usanewshq · Shown as an embedded post · Source

The answer: made by AI

The clip was posted on X on 30 September 2026 with a caption about the true size of whales. Lead Stories looked at it on 2 October 2026 as one of a series of whale-and-boat videos spreading online and found that they are made with AI, with glitches typical of AI video.

The tells

The whale rises in the narrow gap between the two boats, right where the camera is pointing. It rolls once, shows a fin and vanishes, like a scene written for drama. The caption makes a claim about whale size but says nothing about where or when this was filmed, or who filmed it.

How we know

• Published fact-check: Lead Stories, 2 October 2026

We only use a picture in the game when its origin is proven. Read how we check.

How to check something like this yourself

1. Find the first upload. Take a screenshot of a clear frame and run it through a reverse image search, or search a few words describing the clip with the name of the platform. Look for the earliest copy and read its caption.
2. Pause it, again and again. AI video tends to go wrong between frames: objects change shape, people merge, writing swims.
3. Check the length and the sound. Very short clips with stock-sounding audio, or no natural sound at all, deserve a closer look.
4. Look for a fact-check. Search the main claim with the words “fact check”. Anything widely shared has usually been looked at.

Full guide: How to spot an AI video.

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