A photo that looks like it could have been taken straight from the set of a sci-fi movie sparked panic among concerned Facebook users after it was shared online.
We're all fans of Stranger Things, right? Even if you're not, chances are you're at least somewhat familiar with the huge demogorgon monster that wreaks havoc in the show.
Part of what makes Stranger Things, or in fact most alien movies, so entertaining is that we're pretty safe in the knowledge that they won't come true.
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But what happens when they do?
Jan Vorster, from Still Bay, Western Cape, South Africa, seemingly caught the moment sci-fi movies came to life when he took a photo which appeared to show creatures that look eerily like little demogorgans walking up the beach.
Vorster had actually been hoping to raise awareness of environmental issues with his photo, but ended up creating confusion and fear instead after the snaps were shared by another page which labelled the shapes as 'sea spiders'.
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The post ended up amassing 22,000 comments and 52,000 shares, with many likening the sight to aliens.
"They look like some alien thing from War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise," one person wrote.
Another commented: "Omg I wouldn't even stay to try and see what it is. I would run like hell."
The photos caused such a stir that some people even sent the images to be inspected by an environmental scientist.
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Thankfully, however, the scientist confirmed the looming shapes were not at all dangerous to humans.
As it turns out, they weren't aliens, but dead aloe vera plants.
Discussing the viral photo, Vorster commented: "I thought I could use this as a metaphor for how people see these plants as aliens, but we are actually the two-legged aliens messing up their world. That was the idea.
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"The comments started immediately. Then it was shared like you can't believe.
"I was surprised [by the reaction]. I thought that people would have fun with it, but then it was very serious, some of it was extremely serious.
"A lot of people were scared of these alien-looking sea monsters. It was like Jaws - is it safe to go into the water?"
Vorster even revealed that some people claimed he had 'misled' them by sharing the photos, though other people 'had a lot of fun' speculating about the images.
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"I learned a lot about social media. It's [just] a picture, I didn't expect this to happen and for the reaction to be so big," Vorster said.
Undeterred by the unexpected reaction to his unique photography, Vorster made clear he was happy to keep working on similar projects after his photos went viral.
Topics: World News, Animals, Life, Viral
Emily Brown