About

Leviathan Waking Up Near Virginia refers to a conspiracy theory claiming that a leviathan, a mythological sea serpent or demon, is waking up in the ocean near Virginia in the U.S., and the government created a snowstorm to freeze it. The theory began in late January 2026 on Facebook when an altered Google Earth screenshot that shows a snake-like shape in the ocean east of Richmond, Virginia, went viral. The claim continued to spread that month, inspiring memes and reactions online.

Origin

On January 24th, 2026, Facebook^[1] user Christopher Archer posted a screenshot purportedly taken from Google Earth that shows a red arrow pointing to a snake-like shape in the ocean near Virginia, U.S. The post reads, "OMG the Leviathan is waking up near Virginia 😳😱 This is why they are creating a FAKE snow storm and manipulating the weather so they can freeze it because the military bases in the area." The post gained over 2,100 reactions and 6,500 shares in four days. This is the earliest known, notable post sharing the conspiracy theory.

A leviathan is a mythological creature often depicted as a sea monster. The creature has biblical ties and is mentioned in the Old Testament in Psalms 74:14.^[2]

Spread

The claim about a leviathan waking up off the coast of Virginia continued to spread on Facebook in late January 2026, also spreading to other social media sites.

On January 24th, 2026, Facebook^[3] user LovelySunshine Moss posted an image showing someone reacting to the supposed leviathan, writing, "So this is what everyone is tlkn about🤐🤦🏽‍♀️they tryna freeze," garnering over 2,100 reactions and 11,000 shares in four days.

On January 25th, Facebook^[4] user Anitia L Brown posted a graphic suggesting the leviathan was seen near the arctic, writing, "Maybe I’m too 'woke' or sumn but….who took the pictures🤦🏾‍♀️?? They show you what they want you to 👀😩…. y’all already know I’m about to break this one down, stay tuned!!" garnering over 21,000 reactions and 4,400 shares in three days.

Later that day, X^[5] user @trappalachiann posted a screenshot of the posts by Christopher Archer and LovelySunshine, writing, "Current discourse on fb about the weather," garnering over 51,000 likes and 4,100 reposts in three days.

Also on January 25th, 2026, X^[6] user @favelaoverlord quoted the post, writing, "you’re laughing. the Leviathan is waking up near Virginia and you’re laughing" (notably referencing the You're Laughing meme), garnering over 68,000 likes in three days.

On January 26th, X^[7] user @gregthesorcerer recreated the original leviathan Facebook post, garnering over 5,100 likes in two days.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References