Think you can tell what’s off about these wildlife creatures lounging in the sand?
Aside from the fact that not a single one of them is actually breathing, these realistic-looking sand sculptures are insanely perfect!
If you ever wondered what happens to little boys who never grew out of building sandcastles, then look no further than Spanish artist Andoni Bastarrika. Not only is he the Michaelangelo of sand, but he’s also got a knack for tricking tourists into thinking his hyperrealistic zoo collection is totally legit.
From sculptures of sweet little doggies to the terrifyingly massive Krakens of the deep, here are 40 of the best sand sculptures ever created that could totally be mistaken for the real thing!
1) Please don’t eat me!
No worries. Hammerhead sharks prefer to nosh on stingrays rather than human meat. Still, this guy looks pretty scary!
Andoni is likely making an environmental statement with this behemoth of a sea turtle. The incredibly detailed sand sculpture is accompanied by an equally detailed samples from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Turtles aren’t the only giant creatures to come out of Andoni’s imagination. Here we have a deep-sea nightmare that could only have been inspired by Norse mythology!
Andoni is a true artistic master with his craft. If you didn’t know better, you’d think this mama elephant was just having a fun little roll in the sand with her creator.
Andoni probably wants everyone to know that not every mermaid has to lool like a skinny beauty queen. He sculpted this siren to have killer curves on her plushy bum!
For every mermaid out there, there’s a sad merman out there wondering where his sweetie disappeared to. If the last sculpture is any indication, she was hanging out at the seafood buffet.
The details in this sculpture are absolutely brilliant. This one even looks like it has a bad case of athlete’s foot that’s crawling away from its heel!
Andoni does such a fabulous job fooling our senses, sometimes it can be hard to figure out which pup is real. Even the sand isn’t always a good measure, since this is a beach after all.
Andoni isn’t averse to bringing some of the more exotic jungle creatures to life. He does a great job of making the curls on this great ape look like he just rolled out of bead.
If you’re scared of gigantic lizards with 10-foot long tongues, you best turn the other cheek. And be glad that this scaly monster can’t run very fast!
Does anyone else feel like playing a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos after looking at this sculpture? The only thing missing is some gigantic marbles for him to chomp on!
The minute detail on this game animal’s thick coat of fur is incredible. It’s like Andoni is tempting you run your finger through the bison’s beard, just to see what it feels like.
This is something they just can’t teach you how to do in school. Not only does it take artistic skill, but one must also have an intimate understanding of animal anatomy to make it look so real.
The kid in you probably wants to hop onto this turtle’s back and go for a ride. Too bad its hard shell is more delicate than it looks, and would crumble under the weight of a fly.
Andoni’s artistic journey with sand actually began when he was an adult. In the summer of 2010, he was at the beach with his two girls, and the first sculpture he ever made was a little mermaid.
His skill has since grown to the point where he can bring not just the shark to life, but the seawater that froths around it during a feeding!
Working on his gift has allowed Andoni to discover what he calls a “fluidity” of his hands. He’s devoted the last 10 years to developing his unique gift – and it definitely shows!
Earning a living as a sand sculpture is definitely a unique niche, and it’s one that isn’t immune to the economic losses brought on by the global pandemic.
All of Andoni’s usual workshops and projects have dried up. So, now he’s commissioning personalized sand sculptures of people’s pets, like this one.
Anyone who is interested can direct message him on his Instagram page.
If you’re going to dream big, then create big! Seen from above and with Andoni himself as scale, this octopus is just as large as its real counterpart swimming around in the ocean.
Instead of being a master over sand, Andoni is actually co-creating with it. Just think about the number of sand particles that have to willingly come together to turn Andoni’s hard work into a masterpiece!
Smaller sculptures like baby lions are as skillfully crafted as Andoni’s larger pieces. The fine details are definitely still there, and he someone even makes the king of the lions look totally approachable.
In nature, no two animals have the exact same coloring and patterns on their fur/coat/skin. There are always tiny nuances, like the white patches of “fur” that Andoni sculpted into this horse.
As you can see, Andoni has a firm grasp on the physical qualities of the human animal, too. The only sad thing about his artwork is that it’s not set in stone, and destined to blow away with the wind and waves.
These beach-bound beasts are intisdinguishable from the real thing when looked at from a distance. But even close up, and with a real live counterpart lying next to it, it’s hard to belive that one of this dogs is a fake.
For Andoni, nudity also represents freedom. It’s also one of the reasons why he said he’ll never sculpt an animal with a chain or necklace, as that goes against the notion of being a free spirit.
It’s not clear if this sculpture is a work-in-progress, or the one that has reached the end of its life. Either way, it shows just how fragile it is to create art from a trillion grains of sand.
Some of Andoni’s sculptures seem to come straight out of a documentary on Animal Planet. With nothing more than sand and sticks, he accurately depicts the struggle of life and death between this leopard and boa constrictor.
If you’re wondering what the sculpting process looks like, it all starts with a pile of moist sand. After Andoni shapes it, he uses a sharp stick and a feather to create the facial expressions that give it life.
He also uses other materials like ashes, glass, and colored clay powders to give his sculptures texture and depth.
From start to finish, the whole thing can take anywhere from 6 hours to 2 days. It all depends on the size.
Andoni says the elephant took two whole days, whereas the horse and bison only took 12 hours each to complete. For smaller animals, like the dogs, Andoni was able to bring them to life in only 6 hours.
Unbelievably life-like animal sand sculptures tricking beachgoers into thinking they’re real
Jessica Adler
01.22.21
Think you can tell what’s off about these wildlife creatures lounging in the sand?
Aside from the fact that not a single one of them is actually breathing, these realistic-looking sand sculptures are insanely perfect!
If you ever wondered what happens to little boys who never grew out of building sandcastles, then look no further than Spanish artist Andoni Bastarrika. Not only is he the Michaelangelo of sand, but he’s also got a knack for tricking tourists into thinking his hyperrealistic zoo collection is totally legit.
From sculptures of sweet little doggies to the terrifyingly massive Krakens of the deep, here are 40 of the best sand sculptures ever created that could totally be mistaken for the real thing!
