# Someone Posted an Instagram Selfie. Scientists Spotted a Giant New Species in the Background

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-10-09 13:20 UTC · Category: World

## Executive Summary
An American tourist's casual Instagram selfie in Colombia inadvertently led scientists to discover a new species of giant waterlily.

## Intelligence Brief
Recent coverage details a remarkable discovery stemming from social media, where an American tourist posted an Instagram selfie taken within a Colombian jungle. In the background of this photograph, scientists spotted distinctive foliage that ultimately led to the identification of a giant new species of waterlily. Outlets including People.com, The Guardian, Phys.org, and Gizmodo have reported on the finding, describing the discovery as jaw-dropping and highlighting the unusual way the plant first came to the attention of researchers.


Media reporting heavily emphasizes the serendipitous nature of the find, noting that the casual photograph played a pivotal role in botany. According to New Scientist and The Guardian, this sighting has significantly impacted the known taxonomy of these massive aquatic plants, with coverage noting that the number of known species of giant waterlilies has almost doubled as a result of the identification process set in motion by the social media post. The broader context provided by the reporting connects this Colombian discovery to ongoing scientific efforts to document rare flora in remote environments.


Coverage does not yet specify the exact remote location within Colombia where the photograph was taken, nor does it detail the precise timeline of when scientists first contacted the tourist after spotting the background foliage in the image. As the story continues to develop across digital and scientific publications, observers are following how researchers formally document the newly recognized waterlily species. Future reporting will likely track further botanical surveys in the region, though current articles do not state whether additional specimens of the giant waterlily have been located in the wild since the initial Instagram sighting.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| IFLScience | New Species Of Waterlily Discovered By Scrolling Instagram May Already Be Critically Endangered | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxQWTVmR01yUkJXMHVXQkdaRTkyRUR2NnQ1YjhCRC1OVlRWZzBtU1JaTk8zcFkydWhVTGxoczlYbFQxLTlyaXJGMWNVQjJ4UDYwa2I3RGhuU1JZcjhUMW1uTl9oS2hBV0pEUGpqY1FIYi1YeFhUWm5adnJOQTk4YTZQZUxxcjBzSG9GM2ZQRlMtWDFSRm5lUndDanVUc0N1ekJ6b08zRlVpQmcwTkNTTndiLUNKamFvZnU3MTRMaFBMZkJObVN3N084?oc=5) |
| People.com | An American Tourist Posted an Instagram Selfie in Colombia. It Helped Scientists Discover a Whole New Species | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxQa0RKaGVzREc1Y2RJSW1zRkdEMEdWdzBoTTdQcVFGX2psQWtzcFpSbElQdUdxZ084VzUwT1BhaFo5QWtRMHl2ZzE1Ylo1N0k2cmtWWDdNalFPb1Rsb3FGM1lWUjRxdGZzNll4Mm5JMFgtc25DbVJRQkxaSUowX1FYNzZnVkpFajBma29WbjAteDJERDVCYWxkcE5qN1M1ZG54dW9Sei12UnlzT3QtU0tKR1RSMTYzSHhvN0dCRHp3?oc=5) |
| New Scientist | Number of known species of giant waterlilies almost doubles | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxPczJIV1h1aU5SdC1wUzhPMDM5TkdTSno0NDJfS2hqUURUN2RId0lfcG5Nc3hiS0VmdjFnT2ctTHEzSDBTN2w2REhmaXhvazM0ZWZZSllpazRMWmtrYmNIUGM1SW9pb3k3MlVLeVIteHQ0YXRjNFJoZzE5YlByU29jV25YSUt5aEpqaVVESjh0dEQzczR5SmcxSXlsRWdybmFjZGMtRVRETmYyd1E?oc=5) |
| The Guardian | How a plant selfie in Colombian jungle led to ‘jaw dropping’ giant waterlily find | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxOSnlpMi1PbV91bHNiMWlGTndkNE9vdUJpeHkweHRwT2hpLVN5MV9SQWdtVXdxaERadkxOYUhLVGN6cVJ0ZERJQ3B5M0IwMld0TDFqbTlKSFotZ1Z6NTUzQ2hsaFZVV194R3BTZ2Q0TjNEcnpZSk13Tnl1cHdERGxkUjZWNktmRWVCX1R3YmdtVEV0QTlkek02Y05QdTZsUnZJVk84dzhpNDROWWthdHZJVC1B?oc=5) |
| Phys.org | Chance Instagram sighting leads to discovery of rare giant water lily in Colombia | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigAFBVV95cUxPMWMweFNNSHExOW5VVUNMUFkyeFBEWVEzaFhPRkQ2eGZRYmo0c1FLMG8wUG8tZF9YQm1MVy0xc1dfdnI1R1c3ZXJFZDFJN1FNYUYtd24wU1NVSHpsWVo3bS1PSlYtTHR3eEhfaWExRUFLYlEzZml5WjFVMXRLQkdjaw?oc=5) |
| Gizmodo | Someone Posted an Instagram Selfie. Scientists Spotted a Giant New Species in the Background | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxNX1BwR195VGtvSTJqOUgwclA5MkE0MUFhODRSZmJlUHp0RnQ2QjhGOWp0OE94VUJVZXJVc0dpVzNEU1BmdGlXNy1ZcXhvMlh3WVNER0JQZ3NiYWxaaVZRMFRZUjE1dktwSWhxbVRENUNVRUtvSW5CcVlJaDkxRXZTUlZlbmFvaVZMMEVCWWo4bW9paTY2bmlhV2VXT0FZVF9NOTNHbmQ1THdFS2l2T0JVclVlTzJHLWZ0YmtVelEzQQ?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-10-09/someone-posted-an-instagram-selfie-scientists-spotted-a-giant-new-species-in*