Just off the shore of the Loire estuary, France, a slithering giant 'serpent' emerges from the sea.

The ocean is home to millions of mysterious creatures and atypical life forms.

And considering water covers 71 percent of the earth's surface, the oceans may be concealing thousands of deep-sea creatures that are still unknown to us.

The ocean is filled with mystery, indeed. And one brilliant artist went on to add more mystery to it.

If you take a trip to the Loire estuary—the tidal mouth that separates Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Brevin-Les-Pins on the west coast of France—you'll find an astonishing creature washed up on the shore.

A Giant Serpent Skeleton Surging out of the Sea

This petrifying beast, frozen in the moment of attack with its bones on display, is nothing more than an aluminum sculpture.

Designed by Chinese-French artist Huang Yong Ping, the sculpture is part of a permanent public art collection that spans the 37-mile-long shore.

Needless to say, the enormous skeleton of the giant serpent is just an art installation and is not real.

The Art Installation is Called Serpent D'océan

It measures 425 feet (130 meters) long and is installed on the beach where it appears with the tide.

The artist cleverly made use of the ocean as an essential part of the art installation.

For instance, in high tides, the sculpture is submerged and concealed within the water.

But when the sea tides roll away from the shores, the giant serpent emerges as though the ocean is revealing an ancient fossil.

Additionally, Yong Ping designed the sculpture with a curving spine that reflects the shape of the nearby Saint-Nazaire bridge.

Its thin, whip-like tail cuts through the sea as if it propels the serpent's body toward the beach.

Other Giant Serpent Sculptures

The Serpent d'océan isn't the only serpent-themed sculpture Yong Ping designed.

Back in 2016, he created an even larger serpent sculpture that measured 787 feet (240 meters) as a piece for his Empires exhibition.

This exhibit was the last part of the Monumenta series at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Who Was Huang Yong Ping

Huang Yong Ping was a prominent figure in the 1980s Chinese avant-garde movement.

He moved to France in 1989 to have more freedom of expression after the Chinese government banned most of his work.

Much of his works are based on politics, and he attempted to push them to higher moral ground.

He often used animals and insects to depict his views on aspects of human nature.

Yong Ping also used some of his art to address the topic of identity and cultural mixing.

He did this by using various animals and Chinese mythological creatures in the European art scene and landscape.

Yong Ping sadly died of a brain haemorrhage on October 19, 2019.

Despite his passing, he continues to live on through his art, just like the giant serpent in the Loire estuary.