What Are The Chances: 40+ Rare Instances When Seemingly Impossible Things Were Captured On Camera

By Ekhama O

Sometimes the stars align so perfectly that the most unbelievable and unlikely occurrences become a reality, proving to us yet again that the universe still knows best. From simple things, like bumping into an old friend in a place and at a time you would never expect, to strange physics and science-defying phenomena, people see seemingly impossible things every day.

Call it bad luck, good luck, or you can even call it weird, but there are some things you just can’t explain. And if you didn’t have your trusty camera to take photos as proof, no one else would have believed they happened.

In this listicle, we feature strange events that would sound insane without evidence. The people who witnessed them were fortunate enough to capture the moment, so all we could say was, “What are the odds?” Well, we’ll leave that to you to decide.

Eternal damnation

The brain is excellent at looking at objects and analyzing them to find patterns and shapes and make sense of them. That’s why this cooled lava, to the human eye, can appear to be a couple of poor souls being dragged to the depths.

u/mrmseeks / reddit

At first, we couldn’t decide what it looked closer to. Our minds immediately thought that the photo was what hell would look like if it had a mouth. But even upon learning what it is, we still can’t seem to shake off the image of damned souls being dragged down there from our heads!

Snazzy Reptile

Tortoises are one-of-a-kind animals. They greatly resemble their aquatic brethren, the turtle, but in terms of peculiarity, they’re in a league of their own, despite being terrible runners. The shells of these creatures are unique, and no two are the same, which is precisely why this one was picture worthy.

u/serendipitybot / reddit

The front of its shell is naturally engraved in a way that it looks like its covering came with a little accessory in the form of a bowtie! While there’s a decent chance of this happening, we’re not going to take the spotlight away from this perpetually dapper reptile.

Bunny in flight

Animals are sometimes infamous for being scary, but often, they can do some pretty wacky stuff, too. This bunny unintentionally photo-bombed this shot in the most unlikely way. The little guy is at least six feet off the ground here!

Googleearth

Rabbits are good jumpers, no doubt. They can hop till they drop, but we’re not sure they can catch that much air. Was he running away from something, or is this just how the little fella likes to cross the road? Guess we’ll never know.

Talk about a close-up

Racing tracks aren’t the safest of places. Not for the drivers, not for the onlookers, and, as we can see from this case, especially not for the photographers. This poor man, for instance, was almost fatally injured by this crash.

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We’re just thankful a lot has evolved in tech. So filming and photography of racing tracks can now be done through automated devices. It probably may have put some people out of jobs, but it also saved many lives, and that’s what matters.

Right on the money

This is one of those shots we find extremely hard to believe. First of all, it is pretty impressive that this acorn managed to fall precisely on this shrub’s spikes. Plus, the said spike also had to be really sharp for it to penetrate through the acorn’s skin.

u/deadfishy12 / reddit

Another thing that baffles us is the fact that it has stayed in place long enough for spiders to have made cobwebs on it. Here’s a disclaimer, though: We’re not a hundred percent sure if this actually happened by mistake or not, but we would like to believe it did.

We are one and the same

Flamingoes are incredibly majestic animals. We don’t know much about these feathered beauties and have no absolutely ill will toward them, but we’re pretty sure they aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed if you catch our drift. That’s just one more reason why this shot is so amazing to look at.

u/Ethan819 / reddit

This flock of flamingoes is lined up in such a way that they form the shape of a bird, with a near-perfect outline! Could they have been baited to stand in such a formation? We highly doubt that. What do you think? Intentional, or is it just a remarkable coincidence?

Hopeless romantic

If you look at the palm of your hand, you’ll find creases that form some weird shapes, letters, or symbols. People have been making a living out of figuring out what they mean for ages, but what about our other body parts? Is there a chance they’re hiding some symbols too?

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We think there’s a fair chance that could be right. Other parts of our body do hold messages, just like the veins on this person’s eyelids! The patterns here are linked in such a manner that they form a cute little heart! Now the million-dollar question is, what does it mean?

Now that’s just terrible Karma

When something unbelievable happens, it’s usually good or at least memorable because it’s got some shock factor to it. Other times, however, the odds are against you, and the situation turns into an utter disaster. This person ran into the latter case.

u/australia-on-redditx / reddit

This poor fellow dropped their phone during a bike ride, and the device got stuck in between the bike’s gears and chain. It took amazing precision for it to have fallen right between those and get crashed in the process. That’s going to cost a pretty buck.

A multitextured apple

Everyone who has ever held an apple knows how its texture feels. They usually have super smooth skin, but this apple seems to be out of the ordinary. Yes, we see it, too. A portion of its body looks somewhat smudged.

u/SilentKnightOwl / reddit

It’s uncommon to find a ‘rough’ apple, and even rarer that it would happen to be on just one part. It almost looks like a connectivity problem is causing part of the image not to load, but that’s just the way this apple is.

Imagine taking a break from social just to see this

Coffee art is one of the biggest examples of the urge humans have to try to make what we eat as pleasing to the eye as it is to the tongue. This piece of art might have been made on purpose, but what are the chances of the bubbles lining so perfectly?

Drivepedia.com

Sometimes, the universe speaks to us through languages we fail to understand, so it sends us signs that we just can’t ignore. Maybe that’s what was happening here. If this was our coffee, we would definitely check our mail immediately!

Four TVs

For this one, the explanation can be pretty straightforward. Maybe these residents get better reception at that spot, or perhaps (and most likely) their rooms are structured in such a way that placing their television there is just the ideal option.

u/EdBasqueMaster / reddit

Now that we think about it, that might just be the case! Those four rooms could be the living rooms in each of their apartments, and the light coming from outside most likely won’t obstruct their viewing from that angle. You see! Some questions do have answers.

Dreams cut short

Everyone loves a good egg hunt, and finding hidden figures in regular-looking scenes can be fun. That’s why there are games fashioned from that idea! This bush is the plant version of a Russian doll, holding its dreams and aspirations close to its heart.

u/toriyo / reddit

Somehow, the tree rings of this stem are forming in such a way that it looks like a little tree. If it was left to grow, the figure would have eventually turned into concentric circles, probably irregular ones. Regardless, we can’t help but feel sad because of its unfulfilled dreams.

Long lost twinnem

This scenario is absolutely crazy, and the guy at the back feels the same way too. With the billions of people who have existed on earth so far, it isn’t too farfetched to think there may have existed someone who looked exactly like you at some point.

u/George354566 / reddit

But what are the odds that you’d meet that person, during your lifetime, on the seat next to you on a plane, wearing the same clothes as you, with the exact same haircut? Pretty slim to none, we would say.

And they took that personally

Have you ever come across a situation so crazy it’s laughable? Most times, there’s no humor involved in unexpected scenarios. Still, funny coincidences are worth a cackle, and so is this picture. While this looks like no laughing matter, it’s so unbelievable we can’t help but let out a few giggles.

u/keepcalmandcoinon / reddit.com

A car crashing into a statue of a driver? Now that’s something you don’t see every day. We will say this, though; that looks like a pretty nasty crash. The car took a massive hit, the bushes were destroyed, and the poor statue was moved. Hope the driver’s okay. Both of them.

That’s one sturdy stem

Aside from killing and displacing people, natural disasters usually do a number on our wildlife, plants, and property. That’s what we believe happened here because there’s no other explanation as to why a tree would ever “tear” up in such a manner.

www.yaplakal.com

Luckily, its damage didn’t do a lot to hinder traffic, as it toppled in by far the unlikeliest of manners. It’s formed a full-on bridge-like structure! Or is that an arch? The stomp carrying the full weight of the tree must have some real stamina.

A familiar figure

Have you ever spotted something and wondered where you’ve seen it before? It’s a hard feeling to shake, and it frequently leaves you bothered if you can’t remember. This guy probably had that feeling when he saw this bowl in a shop, and it turns out he was right!

u/DalbergTheKing / reddit

He had seen it before, but the burning question was, where exactly? Turns out, it was in a book he had read about a famous woodturner who inspired him as a kid. The bowl he had in front of him was the same one he had seen several decades before! That must have felt amazing.

Red-headed bear

Gummy bears are one of the most widely consumed pieces of candy, and though they may vary in size and color, they usually look the same most of the time. However, this little cutie is an exception because while his mates are monotone, he’s not.

u/corgbean / reddit

He has twice the color (and hopefully twice the flavor). We applaud whoever took this picture for having the sense to notice its uniqueness and save it for a shot. We definitely wouldn’t have because we just stuff our hands into the bag, grab whatever we can, and toss it into our mouths!

Karma or luck?

Driving can be difficult at times, and parking even more so. But this person seems to have found themselves going along the wrong route since this looks like a pedestrian-only zone to us. So, why exactly were they driving there?

www.yaplakal.com

While it will definitely take a lot to get this car out of that position and some money to fix the damages, it would have cost them much more if the vehicle had actually fallen to the bottom of what seems to be an apartment complex. Thank heavens for whatever it is that stopped it.

Car bros

While not everyone is accustomed to seeing Rolls Royces and Lamborghinis cruising down their street, there are certain car brands that are common. Most of them also come in various colors, so how could two versions of the same vehicle brand be parked side to side?

u/renaissance_boy_ / reddit.com

It’s possible? Okay. Then how about them having almost the exact same number plate, with just a digit differing? Additionally, the two differing digits happened to be consecutive ones. This is, by far, one of the biggest “what are the odds” moments!

That fire hydrant’s got frostbite

Winter can be a very unforgiving season; it doesn’t matter whether you’re living or inanimate; the cold will take over you. This fire hydrant’s water is frozen in position, and although it looks like an outpour, nothing’s really coming out.

u/okmax / reddit

It’s a bit weird to think of water freezing in motion, but it’s also very possible. After all, we come across frozen fountains with shards of ice hanging over their tiers every now and then. Hence a fire hydrant with frozen water is rare but not that farfetched.

A fish’s life

Fishes in bowls are usually in a lot of distress. They are confined in spaces up to hundreds of thousands of times smaller than their natural habitat. Although they’re given a better chance at survival here, life can be just as stressful there.

u/slowf3 / reddit

This poor aquatic creature is a prime example of that, but luckily, the fish spirits were good to him. His bowl had been thrown over the edge, but it miraculously landed upside down. And it did in such a way that there was still enough water to keep him alive… at least for now.

One in a million

Species of different animals always come in similar forms. When we think of an elephant, we think of grey giants with tusks; when we think of lions, we think of huge cats with majestic manes; and turtles as greenish-grey sea creatures, but not this guy.

u/mouthfulloflemons / reddit

This unique turtle almost looks like the picture is actually a negative of a regular-looking turtle, but no, this is actually how the little guy looks like. We wonder if this is some sort of mutation. Sadly, one thing’s for sure; camouflaging must be a pain with bright colors like those!

The misleading photo “collage”

Some pictures are just too mindboggling to us, and sometimes the truth behind them can turn out to be even more unbelievable. Take this one, for example; it is an image that looks like any regular collage of two different scenes.

Gulo_gulo_ / reddit

But in reality, it’s a photo of a single scene taken from one angle! It looks so geometrically perfect that it’s hard to believe it isn’t some random photo collage. While it isn’t that rare to come across something like this, it’s unlikely a person could capture it all perfectly aligned.

Tan pants

There are times we catch a glimpse of something odd but don’t notice it at first, only to realize that it is weird and take another look. This cute little critter looks like he’s wearing a costume, but in reality, it just has a unique fur pattern.

u/levi-o-sa / reddit

When we first saw this, we thought those were two squirrels of different colors standing in a position that, from the photographer’s angle, made them look like one squirrel. However, we later learned that it’s actually a single squirrel, just an incredibly rare one.

There’s always that one guy

There’s a little bit of rebellion in all of us. Breaking rules and standing out gets our blood pumping, and what can be more exciting than that? What shocked us, though, was discovering that it’s not just humans who feel this way; plants do, too!

EnjoyOslo / reddit

Sunflowers have always been fascinating. They are usually quite tall and very brightly colored, and let’s not forget how much they love facing the sun. However, it seems that this little one decided it had had enough of following the crowd and decided it was time to beat its own path!

The irony

Some people are named after their characteristics or features, so they have the luxury of having fitting names. Others, however, have oxymoronic names that make you wonder how they even came to be. This foreign language teacher named English is an excellent example of that.

ARF_Trooper_ / reddit

What people are ignoring is that his name and subject are only ironic if wherever this was spotted was an English-speaking region. If not, then it’s pretty spot on. We love a little bit of random, everyday humor, and this definitely made us giggle.

One good turn deserves another

The chances of birthing twins aren’t that low, but having identical ones sort of is. With that said, two sets of twins tying the knot is actually rarer, so that’s what makes this photo noteworthy. Even more mind-blowing are the little fellas and girls the couples have beneath them.

u/Available_Subject / reddit

Apparently, twins got married to twins, and they each birthed twins, identical ones, if we may add. From the looks of it, they also look almost the same age. Here’s a fun fact for you: even though the kids are cousins, genetically, they could pass off as siblings! Now isn’t that something?

Missed the nail by a whisker

There are some things we can’t just run away from. For instance, we believe every human will stub their toe at least once in their lifetime; it’s somewhat inevitable. There are infinite chances of something like that happening, and every time it doesn’t, we’re thankful for it.

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This person must know how that feels quite well after this narrow escape. The nail was millimeters away from giving them a nasty puncture wound. That could have seriously hurt and, or even worse, led to some sort of infection.

If it’s meant to be, it will be

There’s a great chance you’ll bump into a ‘familiar stranger’ more than once in your lifetime. After all, people fly halfway across the world and end up meeting someone they know from home. Similarly, these strangers ended up being a big part of each other’s lives. But they didn’t realize it at the time.

u/juicyharibo / Reddit

While we’re unsure if they actually met that first day, what are the chances that they were both at the same place on the same day and kept the photos for all those years? It even appears to us that the pictures were taken at the same time!

Crystalline fusion

Anyone who’s ever seen sea salt knows it’s clumped up in its natural state. The grains aren’t as small as those in table salt, and this is due to the fact that moisture causes them to clump up into irregular shapes. In this case, the salt formed a squared mass.

u/jks1098 / reddit

This putty had some salt in it and probably a little moisture, so that caused the particles to merge, forming these perfect cubes. There are few conditions that make this possible, and the probability of someone coming across them is even lower.

Switching gears

Light travels at a speed so great that if something else were to go that fast, it would circle the earth about seven times in one second! We’re total nerds, but that fact is relevant to this instance. An LED light in a faucet changed colors so fast that it created this scenery.

u/Hurizen / reddit

This spectacular photo was taken at the perfect moment in time to capture the colors of the light changing from green to pink or vice versa. We don’t know why you’d want an LED in your faucet, but who are we to judge? Furthermore, it’s the only reason we got this awesome photo!

Move leaf; get out the way!

When we think of nature, all we can picture is incredible scenery where tranquility reigns supreme. What we tend to forget, though, is that nature can also be cruel and utterly merciless. Don’t believe us? Well, just ask this poor leaf.

Drivepedia.com

We’ve got loads of questions. First off, we can’t help but wonder how sharp that plant must have been to have speared right through the leaf. How rude! And for it to keep growing and living its best life ‘through’ the poor leaf? It’s just unacceptable.

Stuck in the past

Dabbing was the dance move that had the whole world in a chokehold back in 2015. Now, the trend has pretty much died out, and thank goodness for that. But it seems that some people just can’t seem to let it go.

u/ddk_soda / reddit

Or, in this case, some plants. The dance has been out of style for quite a while, but it seems like this little piece of broccoli didn’t get that memo. Maybe it’s celebrating the fact that it will soon be consumed since that was its life goal. In that case, congratulations!

Indestructible

Anyone who’s ever seen a wildfire knows its unforgiving nature. It consumes everything in its path, leaving only dust and char behind. But despite how terrible they can be, there are a few ways we can protect our properties from them.

u/BBQBUDDAH22 / reddit

This sturdy fence was this lucky homeowner’s defense, but we don’t think they ever expected it to hold off a wildfire! It looks like the epitome of peace and tranquility on one side and total carnage on the other. Whoever built it deserves one heck of a prize.

Basketball hovering

One quick look at this photo tells you it’s a regular shot of a good old game of basketball. Nothing funny, and everything seems perfectly fine. The athletes are doing their thing, and there’s a watchful referee in the distance monitoring their moves.

u/Oof10199 / reddit

But look closely, and you’ll realize all four of these men are simultaneously afloat! We know what you may be thinking, and you’re totally right. The chances of this happening are decent compared to the other instances on this list, but it’s still hard to get a photo of it; hence it’s worth of a mention.

Masterpiece by mistake

Glass is probably the most fragile object we come in contact with on a regular basis. Most types don’t do well with heat and never remain the same once they hit the floor. But what happens when something you’d expect to be completely damaged turns out to be terribly destroyed yet somehow salvaged?

Imgur.com

Yes, we know you can’t drink from it anymore, but it’s still pretty to look at. The possibility of this glass jug breaking almost everywhere except for its handle is pretty unlikely, hence its appearance here. We bet if the owner is crafty, they can DIY a pretty decor piece out of it.

Never say never; you never know tomorrow

It’s very popular for big movie productions to recast different stars for the same roles in different cinematic universes. We’ve seen this in James Bond, Spiderman, and a whole lot of other film franchises. So, you can never tell who’s going to play the big role next.

Drivepedia.com

Whoever picked the options for this question seems to have a secret talent for predicting the future, as they just happened to choose an actor who subsequently wore the mask sometime after this quiz was administered. The answer back then would have been Ben Affleck, but now that wouldn’t be true.

Sky high

Okay, critters get the worst rep. Yes, they’re destructive and can cause a little more than a nuisance, but they are just acting on impulse in most cases. In this case, however, we don’t know what this fox was acting on.

u/Toonage9 / reddit

It seems to be pointing its head toward the sky, waiting for something. And aside from the fact that we’re dying to know exactly how it got up there, we’re also curious to find out what it could be waiting for. What a confounding mystery.

Detached

Eggs are the best. They’re great sources of protein; there are a billion ways to make them and even more things to eat them with. That being said, it isn’t easy being one, and we can understand why. Hence, we sympathize with this poor yolk trying to avoid the impending doom.

Drivepedia.com

An egg flip turned disastrous when the yolk separated almost egg-celently away from the whites. Looks like the result of poor oiling and an improper flip. Either way, they’re lucky the yolk didn’t catch enough air to make its way to the ceiling or floor. That would have been worse.

An overdefensive stack of newspapers

This one is pretty straightforward, right? A stack of newspapers just happens to have the words “This is not a coincidence” on every single one of their folds, and despite their very clear message that this was not a coincidence, we kinda think it was.

u/OilersFansDontMatter

While the chances of a stack of newspapers being folded at one particular spot are astronomically high, it’s a bit unbelievable how these could be the choice of words that happen to be on display at the fold. Now, we’re curious to know what the story was about!

True to the name

Most products have either a barcode, serial number, or even both. It helps to identify the item and link it to the manufacturing company and is the perfect way to check for authenticity. They are usually a collection of numbers and letters, just like this one.

u/wolfshozzer / reddit

But what makes this pizza cutter’s serial number unique is the fact that it spells out pizza! That doesn’t sound impossible to come by, but most people pay no mind to them, so it’s cool that the one this person took note of was quite unique.

High tide

The seaside is just an amazing place. Besides being one of the most loved locations on the planet, it’s a spot that makes for some pretty fantastic scenes every now and then. If you add a little bit of sun and waves in the mix, it becomes even more beautiful.

Ger Kelliher / facebook

This picture was taken at just the right moment the wave reached its peak, making the water look somewhat solid. It’s absolutely stunning and quite baffling, to be honest, but we thank whoever took the time to get this perfect shot.

This ain’t no set

Once in a while, something happens that we feel is so unbelievable, it sounds like it’s straight from a Hollywood flick. This scenario is one such case since we can totally see a scene like this playing out in an action film.

Intermedia.ge

This is what we would call a narrow escape. The car is at least a few inches off the ground, and we’re sure it must have been rolling fast, so we’re glad those people evaded it. We’re certain this is a story she will be telling for the rest of her life.

Man of my word, literally

This entry is pretty similar to the pizza serial number one we listed above. It is in the same line of uniqueness, and although we have seen it before, it’s one of those odd things that just never get old.

The track just happens to say exactly what is happening here. The title of the song is incomplete. We must ask, though, is the audio itself complete? Does It cut off at some point? Now, that would be a very interesting artistic choice.

Heads or heads?

Some kinds of metal usually undergo several special processes before we attain the end product. A good example is the humble old coin. One of the final processes in its manufacturing involves pressing it, and this unfortunate piece went through it twice.

u/-springfield- / reddit

It’s old, but unlike the others, it’s not a ‘dime a dozen’ kind of coin. So, despite its weird shape, the owner can take solace in the fact that it will be worth a lot more if they keep it for a while longer. It would make a great entry in a unique coins collection.