Instagram Photos Lead Researchers to New Giant Waterlily Species in Colombia

A chance encounter with social media photographs led to the discovery of a new giant waterlily species in Colombia, according to The Guardian and Mongabay. Both outlets reported that its leaves could be spotted from space and that the plant is already considered critically endangered.

Mongabay traced the investigation to 2021, when giant-waterlily expert Carlos Magdalena saw Instagram photographs posted by Jeremiah Harris, who runs a carnivorous-plant nursery in the U.S. Harris was pictured swimming beside waterlily leaves in Colombia’s Inírida River and had identified the plant as Victoria amazonica.

According to Mongabay, Magdalena recognised that no known South American giant waterlily species from the genus Victoria had previously been reported from the Orinoco Basin, which includes the Inírida River. He examined satellite imagery and spotted additional floating pads in the river and nearby lakes.

Mongabay reported that confirmation involved a five-day expedition and a late-night detour in a Colombian rainforest. The Guardian’s supplied excerpt did not detail that expedition, but reported that plans were being developed to protect the newly discovered species.

Sources

• The Guardian: How a plant selfie in Colombian jungle led to ‘jaw dropping’ giant waterlily find
• Mongabay: An Instafamous giant water lily is confirmed as a new species — and critically endangered