Google Street View is a great tool to use to see the layout of a city without ever having to leave the comfort of your home. Because the Google Street View cars that take photos of the street for the site are so colorful and easy to spot, many people go out of their way to pose for the camera or even make sure important life moments are captured on the site forever.
And sometimes, mysterious moments are accidentally captured by the camera leading to internet sleuths attempting to track down who is in the photos, to some pretty interesting results. These are some of the most interesting finds on the map app that were found by eagle eyed virtual travelers.
Dabbing For the Camera
This cyclist in Victoria, Australia did what anyone passing by a Google Street View car would do: pose for the camera. Of course, they couldn’t hop off of their vehicle for the spur of the moment chance, so they did their best dab for the photograph, which was captured in several different photos all along this street.
Smile For the Camera
No, this isn’t just a group of random people who happened to find themselves in front of a Google Street View car, this is a group of Google employees from their offices in London who knew that the car was planning to make a trip past their location. So, they organized a flash mob and got on their craziest hats for the occasion.
Have I Seen You Around Before?
It’s always fun to see Google Street View camera cars meet, and this is exactly what you should be on the look out for if you’d like to end up on the site’s maps someday. The cars are covered in map graphics and have a huge camera extending from the top of the car, so they’re pretty hard to miss if you’re looking out for them.
A Traditional Japanese Wedding
This beautiful wedding march was photographed in Kyoto, Japan and it shows the bride and groom with their families walking behind them during their wedding ceremony. The location of the photo was near the Shimogamo-Jinja Shrine, which is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, dating back to the 6th century.
The Same White Van in Four Different Years
Every time the Google Street View van visits this exact same road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it happens upon a white van in the exact same location. But one year, the van wasn’t in its usual spot, but it was still close-by, driving down the street right next to Google’s car!
Did Someone Misplace Some Feet?
In this photo, a group of cyclists in Poland were effected by a glitch that somehow removed their bodies from their feet. The mysterious illusion totally looks like a couple of people abandoned their shoes and the man on the right, who doesn’t have any feet, is definitely eyeing them!
Diagon Alley is Real!
Okay, so Diagon Alley from the “Harry Potter” series isn’t totally really, but fans of magic can visit the Diagon Alley that was used to film the movies at Warner Bros. Studios location in London on Google Street View. This location is also available for fans to visit in person should they ever find themselves in England.
A Twin Pair of Legs
When you really have to hurry to get where you’re going, sometimes it may feel like the rest of your body has to catch up to your legs! Maybe that’s what happened to these two people in Anchorage, Alaska, who were caught without their bodies while walking next to the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.
This is Where They All Go to Park
It’s unknown why, but there were a lot of Google Street View cars in Monterey, California in March of 2012, and this one happened to get a great shot of all of the other ones parked in the lot. They may have been working in the area too, but as of yet, no one else has found any photos of this many Google Street View cars parked together in the app.
Japanese Cherry Blossoms
Cherry blossoms are very popular in Japan, and when they are in bloom the whole country practically turns pink thanks to the delicate petals. This particular cherry blossom tree is found in Maruyama Park in Kyoto, Japan, where it is often lit up to showcase its spectacular color and impressive size.
A Famous Field
If this baseball field looks familiar to you, that’s because it is the very field where the film “Field of Dream” was filmed in the ’80s. The Kevin Costner film was shot in Dyersville, Iowa and some baseball scenes were shot in a neighboring farm.
Black Canyon Freeway
No wonder why it got its name, Black Canyon freeway is pretty dark at night, especially if there aren’t many cars driving on it at the moment. This freeway passes through Arizona, where this photo was taken, and is located in some very flat desert, which is why it is so pitch black at night.
Seaweed Monster At the Beach
Don’t be scared, this obviously isn’t a real seaweed monster come to attack the Google Street View car, but this man has a pretty impressive commitment to being unusual! This photo was taken at Mission Beach in San Diego and by the looks of it, this surfer ran right from the water to the road to be in this hilarious photo.
A Cat Caught In the Act
This kitty was photographed in Tver Oblast in Russia while it was doing its business in the front yard. The little cat looks as cute as ever, though and its owners were probably surprised to see it immortalized online forever! This cat didn’t even know that it had to be camera ready while taking its morning stroll.
A Construction Man Rocking Out
When this guy saw the Google car, he immediately went into rock star mode, grabbing the nearest shovel and doing a mean air guitar like he was suddenly overtaken by the spirit of Slash.
Under the Sea
It’s not only possible to visit the streets of the world on Google, you can also take a look at some of the places on Earth that are harder to reach, like coral reefs and other underwater paradises. This shot of a scuba diver’s view was taken near Jaco Island in East Timor.
Showing Off For the Camera
When some people see a Google Street View camera car, they know that it’s time to do something impressive should anyone find these photos in use in the future. And that’s exactly what this man did when he popped a wheelie on his motorcycle just as the Google car went by. And thankfully, it made it onto the site.
A Romantic Proposal
Some of the people who take photographs to be used for Google Street View get creative with their work. Some of these photographs tell pretty interesting stories if you’re willing to spend a few hours exploring the virtual world. This man used his photographs to capture a truly amazing moment out at sea, and now his engagement will be remembered forever.
A Floating Man
A glitch in the camera that makes the composite photos for Google Street View caused this New York City Ramones fan to look like they were just half of a person! That certainly ups his cool factor, but don’t think that you’ll find anyone really floating like this when you take a trip to the famous city.
Tiger on the Loose
Google Street View has the power to capture things most people wouldn’t see, or in this case, might not see until it’s too late. Take this tiger for instance. It’s loose in the parking lot of this office building. We doubt there’s anyone inside who wants to walk out to their car for lunch only to end up being lunch for this beast.
The Curious Case of the Crazy Archer
Is it just us or did Google just make everyone a witness to a murder? Based on the image alone, it appears that the archer on the far left is moments away from shooting an arrow into his neighbor’s heart. Yikes!
Penguin on a Bike Attachment
Most people use a bike attachment to take their kids along for the ride. But this rider has a penguin for a passenger. Then again, it’s not the only weird thing about this photograph. The rider appears to be riding a unicycle with a big wheel and no handle bars.
A Perfectly Timed Marching Band
An artist by the name of Ben Kinsley timed it perfectly so that a vignette he choreographed in the form of a parade coincided with the Google Street View vehicle way back in 2008. And the cameras captured the marching band right on time.
A Bunch of Life-Sized Rag Dolls
If the people at the bus stop in Nagoro, Japan, are looking a little inhuman, it’s probably because they’re not human at all. They’re actually a bunch of rag dolls made by Tsukimi Ayano. The reason behind this inspiration was to replace the neighbors who had either passed away or moved away.
Day of the Scarecrow
Forget about zombies. This is a full-on scarecrow invasion… or is it? Actually, they’re called “The Silent People” and the person behind these 1,000 scarecrows in a Finnish field is none other than an artist named Reijo Kela.
Bear Eating Fish
If this bear looks annoyed than he probably is. See, he was in the middle of having a nice fish meal in Kurile Lake in Russia when a done suddenly hovered overhead and started taking photos of him.
A Creepy Group of People
This looks like a promotional image still for an upcoming horror thriller, but it’s actually just a bunch of people in Mexico who decided to don a couple of creepy costumes. But they weren’t heading to a Halloween party. They dressed up so they would get captured by the Google Street car.
Man on a Mailbox
Google Street cars have captured all sorts of people doing things that make people do a double-take. One of those images includes one of this man who is sitting on top of a mailbox taking a smoke break in the middle of Manhattan.
Baby on the Loose
When the Google Street car drove past this commercial district, it caught sight of a baby who appeared to be making a break for it. And yet, the mother was nowhere to be seen as it crawled around on the sidewalk.
Bagel Snacking Dog
Go on Google Street View and you’ll find all sorts of things, including some images that are absolutely adorable. Take this dog for instance. He was looking up at the camera as if he had just been caught doing something bad. In reality, he was simply munching on bagels that had been discarded on the side of the road.
Google Captured Pranksters
Right outside the Salon Gallery in Santa Cruz, California, were two women, who for whatever reason were pranking someone by wrapping their car in saran wrap. Too bad we’ll never know how the car owner reacted when they saw this.
An Enormous Pink Bunny
According to “Geek” a Vienna-based art collective known as Gelitin, formerly known as Gelatin, placed an enormous pink bunny named Hase outside of this farmhouse on a hill in Italy’s Piedmont area. It wasn’t a prank but rather one of the collective’s many out of the box art projects.
A Little Boy Hiding
Take a good look at this image, and pay close attention to the trash can in the alley. Notice something unusual? There’s a kid crouched behind the trash attempting to hide. Was he simply playing hide and go seek with a group of friends or siblings or was he hiding from his parents after doing something bad? The world may never know.
Mad Scientists at Work
Something strange is happening in the neighborhood on Sampsonia Way in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to this picture, one scientist appears to be testing a laser from this open car garage while two other scientists outside seem to rejoice with wicked joy at how well their invention works.
Pigeon-Human Hybrids Invade Tokyo
It might look like scientists created horrible pigeon-human hybrids and then released them on the unsuspecting population. But the people walking on the sidewalk are actually Japanese art students from Musashino Art University, who wanted to play a joke on the Google Street View car.
Pool Party in Holland
A bunch of people in Holland decided to throw caution and their clothes to the wind and relax in a small inflatable pool outside of a building. And the Google Street View car caught the particular moment when they were chillaxing with a couple of beers.
Crime in Progress
To the untrained eye, this might look a crime in progress. But it’s actually just two guys who staged a crime scene in Edinburgh, Scotland. Unfortunately for them, it caught the attention of local authorities who were not laughing at the prank.
A Horse in His Bathrobe
Where else would one expect to find a horse in his bathrobe other than Victoria, British Columbia, Canada? Well, actually, it’s just a human sitting casually on the side of the street eating a banana while wearing a horse mask and a robe.
The Ghost House
It looks like something one would expect to see in a horror movie about ghosts with all those spectral figures against the window of this house. But in reality, they’re just Halloween decorations that someone kept up in their Chicago home.
Old Men on Segways
The Google Street View car captures all sorts of things, including this amazing sight of three elderly men riding around town on their Segways. While some folks would rather relax in front of their television in their golden years, these friends aren’t ready to slow down anytime soon.
A Human and His Cockatoo
It’s not uncommon to find people caught walking their dogs outside by the Google Street View car. But this man was caught taking his Cockatoo out for a walk in Portland. Now that’s not exactly something people see every day.
Shirtless Russian Goes After Bear
This shirtless Russian saw a bear in his property and probably thought, “Not today, Yogi!” So, he took a bat and started running after it. The ironic part is that bears are usually intimidating but this one was running a way in terror at the crazy human who was chasing him.
Woman in the New Mexico Desert
There’s a story in this photo, obviously. Why else would this woman be rolling a suitcase in New Mexico on the outskirts of the city of Roswell? And she’s wearing heels, no less! It’s safe to assume that her car probably broke down and she’s trying to make it to the nearest town to get some help.
Skiing on a Green Slope
Most snow enthusiasts head to the icy slopes to ski. But this person was in Mont Blanc, an area bordering Italy and France that clearly had no snow. So, he decided to ski on a slope full of luscious green grass and Google Street View caught him in the act.