Thousands of internet users fooled into thinking photoshopped image of a FLYING SHARK was named National Geographic’s picture of the year
A FAKE picture of a shark launching out of the water has fooled thousands into thinking it has won the National Geographic 2016 'Photo of the Year' competition.
The photoshopped shark has been shared thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter, with amazed online users congratulating 'chief photographer' Bob Burton... who doesn't exist.
The "award-winning" digitally manipulated image of the great white was debunked within hours of its release in December, but enthusiastic social media users have kept it in circulation.
It has been revealed that the National Geographic don't even run a 'photo of the year' competition.
Popular British indie band Bastille were among the fooled masses and tweeted the picture with the caption: "Wow. Check out @NatGeo's Photograph of the Year by Bob Burton."
The tweet was liked nearly 2,500 times.
Meanwhile on Facebook, various viral accounts have shared the image and received thousands on 'reactions' and shares.
One account, called , posted the image alongside the caption "National Geographic photo of the year", raking in more than 5,200 likes.
"AMAZING!!!!!" commented one user, while others wrote: "Brave cameraman" and "I bet whoever took this is dead".
"Photograph Of The Year 2016, By Bob Burton, Chief Photographer National Geographic," tweeted Gurmeet Kanwal.
User @MrRDenham said: "Photograph of the year by Bob Burton. I only have two words... and they ain't appropriate for Twitter."
Other users were not convinced by the obvious fake and mocked those believing the lie.
Jim Heimsoth said on Facebook: "Wow, are you out of touch! This is fake, in case you missed the memo?"
Abraham Helsing posted his own bizarre photoshop of the shark with Godzilla riding its back.
and that no-one called Bob Burton had any involvement in the organisation.
"The man, who goes by the alias Bob Burton," the official article said, "claimed (falsely) to have taken National Geographic's photo of the year (an award we don't have) of a shark leaping out of the water (which is clearly fake)."
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The image was actually created on a programme called Shuttershock by a Russian graphic design artist who goes by .
His online portfolio includes several other digitally enhanced or fabricated images of sharks and other animals, as well as graphically generated shots of explosions and missiles.
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