Chicama is NOT the only wave protected by law; however, it was the first!
Ocean waves are a beautiful sight to behold and a testament to the wonders of nature. Nature lovers are surfers attracted to the beautiful sea waves and gather towards the beaches to enjoy the attractive sea waves. However, social media users are sometimes exaggerating details about sea waves when publishing posts in cyberspace. Let's look […]
Ocean waves are a beautiful sight to behold and a testament to the wonders of nature. Nature lovers are surfers attracted to the beautiful sea waves and gather towards the beaches to enjoy the attractive sea waves. However, social media users are sometimes exaggerating details about sea waves when publishing posts in cyberspace. Let's look at such a claim about waves in Chicama, Peru.
Social Media Posts
Social media posts claim that a Peruvian region called Chicama boasts of the world's longest wave, and also it is the only protected wave. An image is being shared to support this claim, as seen below.
Users commented as follows:
We decided to do a fact-check on this.
Fact Check
First, we conducted a reverse image search and found that similar images have been shared on various platforms since 2016. An image of the same location on Reddit can be found here.
And also, it was revealed in our investigation that an artist named Ashley Bickerton created this image using Photoshop. He used the idea of waves on the coast of Bali, Indonesia, to create it. Ashley revealed these details in a 2021 interview with Wave Length online magazine, which can be read here. Archived.
And a video depicting the Chikama wave of Peru can be watched below.
Is Chicama the World’s Longest Wave?
There is no exact or straightforward answer to this, but it is most likely true. In 2020, NASA stated in a web article that it is one of the world's longest waves. The NASA article can be read here. Archived.
Is Chicama the only legally protected wave?
BBC reported that Peru announced the first legally protected wave in 2016, Chicama. The related BBC article can be read here. Archived
However, it’s not the only protected wave. Peruvian authorities have given legal protection to dozens of other waves as well. More details about this can be read here. Archived
Following the example of Peru, some other countries have also declared certain waves as reserves or protected areas. Details about the protected wave areas of the world can be found here.
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Conclusion
According to our investigation, we found that the viral social media post was false. The image was digitally altered and does not depict the Chicama wave. Furthermore, it is not the only protected wave in the world. In addition to Chicama, the world's first protected wave, there are now many other protected waves.
