52.3763525, 5.198303 – The Famous Google Maps Spot That Fooled the Internet

February 14, 2026 Azan

Have you ever typed random numbers into Google Maps just to see what pops up? Lots of people have done exactly that with 52.3763525, 5.198303.

These coordinates became super famous around 2013. People shared them everywhere – on Facebook, Reddit, Twitter (now X), YouTube, TikTok, and even Pinterest. The big claim was simple and shocking:

“When you zoom into 52.3763525, 5.198303, you see a man dragging a dead body across a wooden dock with blood everywhere.”

The story spread like wildfire. Thousands of people rushed to Google Maps to check for themselves. Many screamed “This is real!” Others said “It’s fake, but creepy anyway.” Even today, in 2026, new people still discover the meme and share it again.

But the truth is much calmer – and a lot funnier – than the scary rumor.

Table of Contents

Where Exactly Is 52.3763525, 5.198303?

These numbers point to a very normal place:

Beatrixpark in the city of Almere, Netherlands.

Almere is a modern city built mostly after the 1970s. Beatrixpark is a peaceful public park with:

Pretty lakes
Walking paths
Grass areas for picnics
Wooden docks where people sit, fish, or let their dogs play in the water

Nothing about this park looks dangerous or strange. Families visit. Friends hang out. Dogs love to swim. It’s the kind of place where people go to relax, not to commit crimes.

The Viral Image – What People Actually Saw

When you open Google Maps, type 52.3763525, 5.198303 (or the very similar version 52.376552, 5.198303), and switch to satellite view, here’s what appears:

A long wooden platform stretches over the water
Two human shapes stand near the end
A dark shape (most people now agree it’s a dog) is close to them
A darker line runs along the wooden boards toward the water

At first glance – especially when the picture is small and blurry – it really does look strange. Many people thought:

The dark line = blood trail
The thing being pulled = a dead body
The person = a killer trying to hide the body in the lake

That idea was exciting. It felt like Google Maps accidentally caught a real crime. People love stories like that. It makes the internet feel full of hidden secrets.

The Simple Truth – It’s Just a Wet Dog

Fact-checkers looked closely at the picture (which Google took around 2009, four years before the rumor started). Here’s what really happened:

The two people were hanging out on the dock with their dog.
The dog jumped into the lake to swim (Labs and similar dogs love water!).
When the dog climbed back onto the dock, it shook water everywhere.
The wooden boards got very wet.
Some parts of the wood already had a reddish-brown stain from age, weather, and normal wear.
When wet, the stained wood looked much darker – creating the illusion of a long “blood trail.”

No blood. Nobody. No crime.

Just a happy dog, some wet wood, and a trick of light and color that fooled millions of eyes.

Why Did So Many People Believe It?

There are good reasons this story became huge:

It looked real enough – Low-quality satellite pictures + shadows + wet wood = perfect illusion
It was shareable – Short message: “Type 52.3763525, 5.198303 into Google Maps and see what happens!”
People love mysteries – Even after someone explains the truth, many still enjoy pretending it’s spooky
Social media loves drama – Scary stories get more likes, shares, and comments than boring ones
It’s harmless fun – No one gets hurt. It’s just a funny internet moment

Communities on Reddit (especially r/mystery, r/oddlyterrifying, r/creepy), Pinterest boards about “weird Google Maps finds,” and TikTok mystery pages kept the legend alive for over ten years.

How to Check It Yourself Right Now

It’s very easy and safe to look:

Open Google Maps on your phone or computer
In the search box, carefully type: 52.3763525, 5.198303
Press enter
Click the “Satellite” button (bottom left corner on computer)
Zoom in slowly until you see the wooden dock clearly
Move around a little – you’ll see it’s just a normal park

Extra tip: If you change the year in Google Earth (using the time slider), you can see newer pictures of the same dock. The “scary” image is old. Today the dock looks the same – still peaceful, still dog-friendly.

Other Famous Google Maps “Mysteries” People Love

This isn’t the only time Google Maps tricked people. Here are a few other popular ones:

The “giant face” in Canada (just rocks and shadows)
The “underwater alien base” near Antarctica (natural rock formation)
The “crashed UFO” in Russia (old plane wreck)
The “blood-red lake” in Australia (actually algae)

All of them look strange at first… until someone explains them.

Who Enjoys These Kinds of Stories the Most?

Lots of different people love looking at weird coordinates:

Meme lovers – They share anything funny or shocking
Urban legend fans – They enjoy creepy stories even when they’re fake
Google Maps explorers – Some people spend hours finding strange shapes, hidden art, or funny messages written on fields
Reddit mystery groups – They love to discuss, argue, and solve internet puzzles
Pinterest users – They save pins called “creepy places,” “weird finds,” or “cool Google Earth locations”
Casual scrollers – Anyone who sees a post and thinks “Wait… is this real?!”

The 52.3763525, 5.198303 story fits all these groups perfectly.

Why This Old Meme Still Pops Up in 2026

Even after more than twelve years, people keep finding it again. Why?

New generations join the internet every year
Someone makes a new TikTok or YouTube Short saying “You won’t believe what’s at these coordinates!”
Old Reddit threads get revived
Pinterest pins never really die
It’s a safe, easy scare – no blood, no real danger, just a funny mistake

It’s one of the longest-lasting Google Maps hoaxes ever.

FAQ

What happens when I type 52.3763525, 5.198303 into Google Maps?

You see a wooden dock in a peaceful park in Almere, Netherlands. It looks like two people and a dark dog near the water, with a darker line on the wood. Many think it’s scary at first, but it’s not!

Is there really a dead body being dragged at these coordinates?

No, it’s not a dead body. The image shows a happy dog that got wet after swimming. The “trail” is just water making old red-stained wood look darker.

Why does the trail look like blood on Google Maps?

The wood in the park has natural red stains from age and weather. When the dog shakes off water, the wet spots turn much darker and look like a bloody trail from above.

How old is this Google Maps picture?

The photo was taken around 2009 by Google’s cameras. The meme only went viral in 2013, so it’s an old, normal park scene that got mistaken for something bad.

Has anyone checked if this was a real crime?

Yes, people sent it to the police years ago. They said it’s not a crime — just a dog playing in the water. Fact-check sites like Snopes confirm it’s completely harmless.

Final Thoughts

The coordinates 52.3763525, 5.198303 show us something important:

Our eyes can play tricks on us. Shadows, water, old wood, and a happy dog can look like a crime scene if we want them to.

But when we look closer – and when we check facts – the scary story turns into a silly, cute moment. A dog got wet. That’s all.

It’s okay to enjoy the mystery for a minute. It’s fun to feel surprised. But it’s even better to know the happy truth behind the rumor.

Next time someone sends you strange coordinates, smile, zoom in, and look for the dog.

Have you found any funny or strange spots on Google Maps yourself? Drop your favorite coordinates in the comments – let’s see what everyone else discovers!