RIP: Bear Shaped Underwater Rock National Geographic Photograph

This is a real nature photograph showing a wide, shallow, crystal-clear river with snow-capped mountain ranges stretching across the background under a bright clear blue sky. In the foreground, lying fully submerged on the sandy riverbed, is a moss-covered rock formation that has an almost perfect resemblance to a large dead bear lying on its side, creating a convincing optical illusion that tricks viewers into initially believing a bear has drowned in the river, which is the basis for the 'RIP' title associated with the image.

The original photograph was taken by professional photographer Ryan Peruniak and published by National Geographic. This image was later reposted as a viral meme on the platform 9Gag via RSS feed, with the accompanying title 'RIP. Real picture from National Geographic' to play on the optical illusion of the bear-shaped rock. No edits were made to the original photograph for the meme; its viral appeal comes entirely from the natural visual trick.