Fact check: Photograph captures a lake in Australia that resembles a tree

The claim: Photo of a lake in Australia resembles a tree

This week, Khan Rashid Khan took to Facebook to share an aerial photograph of a lake in Australia that resembles a tree, comparing it to the "tree of life."

"The Tree of Life created naturally after a few Stormy Days in the Clarence Valley, NSW, Australia," he wrote. "The Water is soaked by Tea Tree Oils hence the Brown Colour and the extra water flowing out of the Lake has created this stunning Natural Master Piece."

Though the imagemight not look real, it's a bonafide photograph of Lake Cakora in New South Wales, Australia.

Photo of Lake Cakora was taken by amateur photographer in December

The photo was taken by Derry Moroney in December. He is an amateur photographer who has been capturing aerial images of Lake Cakora for about six months.

Lake Cakora is a lake and lagoon that is sometimes open to the ocean at Brooms Head Beach. Moroney snapped the viral photo after several days of consecutive storms in the Clarence Valley, per ABC North Coast.

He explained the phenomenon behind the photo to BBC.

"It's a lake that connects to a beach and also an estuary, and in the estuary and up next to the beach is a bunch of tea trees," he said. "During the big storms, as it comes back in during the high tide, all the tea tree oil runs back into it, and creates the forks and all the hooks of the tree of life."

Moroney told USA TODAY that he was surprised his photo went viral. "The response I have gotten from all over the world has left me speechless," he wrote.

Our rating: True

Based on our research, the claim that the image in a photo of a lake in Australia resembles a tree is TRUE. It's a bonafide photo of Lake Cakora in New South Wales, Australia. It was taken in December by Derry Moroney, an amateur photographer.

Our fact-check sources:

• Derry Moroney Photography, Dec. 17, Facebook Post

• ABC North Coast, Jan. 11, "Aerial photos of Lake Cakora at Brooms Head reveal spectacular 'tree of life' patterns"

• BBC, Jan. 13, "Australia: Spectacular ‘tree of life’ found in lake"

• Derry Moroney, Jan. 13, statement to USA TODAY

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Photo captures a lake in Australia that resembles a tree