No — the viral drone clip of a giant "Eclipse Octopus" in the Gulf of America is not authentic. The video was posted to TikTok by @connarclips on September 18, 2025 — an account that signals it publishes AI-generated content — and amassed roughly 6.2 million views. The creature in the footage appears to have at least eleven arms, contradicting octopus anatomy, and an AI-detection tool returned a 96.6% probability the clip is synthetic. There is no independent scientific verification of the claimed discovery.
Fact Check: Viral “Eclipse Octopus” Drone Footage Is AI — Not a Real Gulf Giant
Lead Stories says: AI Generated
A widely shared drone clip claiming to show a giant "Eclipse Octopus" in the Gulf of America (commonly called the Gulf of Mexico) is not authentic. The footage originated on a TikTok account that signals it posts AI-generated content and displays multiple anatomical and contextual errors consistent with synthetic video.
Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Dec 18 09:14:19 2025 UTC
What We Checked
The clip was uploaded to TikTok by @connarclips on September 18, 2025 with a caption reading "Largest Octopus Ever Discovered in the Gulf of America." At the time it went viral, the post had roughly 6.2 million views. The account's bio — "Clips of Unexpl𝐀𝐈nable Events 😈🦄😇" — indicates the creator posts AI or fabricated material.
Image: screenshot of detail of @connarclips TikTok account page.
Why The Video Is Not Real
- Anatomical Inconsistencies: Real octopuses are cephalopods with a head and a ring of eight arms. The creature in the clip appears to have at least eleven arms, with some limbs unnaturally joined or split — a common error in AI-generated imagery.
- Source Signals AI Content: The TikTok channel explicitly signals it posts AI-created clips and has previously published other fabricated animal sightings.
- AI-Detection Result: Lead Stories ran the video through the Hive AI detection tool, which returned a 96.6% probability that the footage contained AI-generated or deepfake content.
- No Independent Verification: The post cited fictional-sounding institutions and a quoted researcher, but no credible scientific institutions or peer-reviewed evidence support the claim of a newly discovered 45-foot octopus.
"This discovery reminds us how little we know about the deep ocean," the TikTok description quoted a "Dr. Elena Vargas." However, the presence of multiple red flags — anatomical errors, an AI-labeled account, and a high AI-detection score — strongly indicate the clip is manipulated.
Biological Context
According to authoritative sources on marine life, octopuses have eight arms equipped with suction cups and a compact, sack-like body. Claims of many-armed or city-bus-sized specimens require rigorous documentation: verifiable photos from independent researchers, specimen samples, and peer-reviewed analysis — none of which accompany this viral clip.
Image: screenshot of detail of @connarclips TikTok video with red annotations by Lead Stories.
Bottom Line
The viral "Eclipse Octopus" drone footage is almost certainly synthetic. It originated from a TikTok account that signals AI content, displays clear anatomical inaccuracies, and was flagged by an AI-detection tool with a high probability of being generated. Treat the clip as a fabricated video rather than verified evidence of a giant octopus in the Gulf.
Image: Hive results screenshot.
Tip for readers: When you see startling wildlife clips online, check the uploader's account history and bio, look for reporting from credible scientific institutions, and be cautious of sensational captions that lack independent verification.
