Visitors at a garden centre have claimed they have spotted the face of Jesus Christ in a fish which has been dubbed the ‘Son of Cod’.
Helen Barlow, 55, was visiting Notcutts Ashton Park garden centre in Greater Manchester when she took a photograph of the centre’s koi carp.
She then sent the image to her four-year-old grandson Harry and noticed that one fish named ‘Carl’ had a human’s face complete with a moustache and beard.
Ms Barlow shared the image online and people have compared the face to US President Donald Trump, Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez – and even Jesus Christ.
Helen Barlow, 55, took photographs of Carl the koi carp (pictured) and people have said it looks like Jesus Christ
The image of Carl (bottom right) shows the fish has human features and people have suggested it looks like Donald Trump and football manager Rafa Benitez
People have been suggesting Carl the koi carp (left) looks like Jesus (pictured right, the Turin Shroud, a cloth which is believed to bare the image of Jesus)
She has been inundated with messages from people who claim to have spotted the face of Jesus, complete with a dark beard and eyes facing straight at the camera.
The picture – called the ‘Father, Son and holy fillet’ – has caused such a storm that the manager of the garden centre has offered people the chance to take selfies.
Ms Barlow, a grandmother-of-two and mother-of-three, said: ‘It’s a bit freaky.
‘I was just visiting the garden centre for a few bits when I noticed the fish and thought my grandson would enjoy seeing the fish as they are quite big.
‘I wasn’t really paying any attention to the picture at first, it was only later on when I looked at it and realised it had a face.
‘I think people are regularly feeding them so when the fish saw me they came over as if they expected me to have food, which is how I got the picture of the carp looking right up at me.
‘I could definitely see a few faces on the fish in there but the face on the one nearest the camera is just creepy.
‘I like to watch Most Haunted on TV so I decided to share it online so I could see what other people thought.
‘A lot of people think it’s very freaky. A lot of people saw the face straight away and the picture got a lot of attention.
‘But there were lots of sensible suggestions [of how the fish had a human face] too. Koi carp are known for having unusual markings on them that do sometimes look like faces.
After taking the picture of Carl, Ms Barlow, a grandmother-of-two and mother-of-three, said: ‘It’s a bit freaky’
The picture – called the ‘Father, Son and holy fillet’ – has caused such a storm that the manager of the garden centre has offered people the chance to take selfies
Kath Mitchell, Centre Manager at Notcutts Ashton Park, said: ‘This customer photo has created a bit of a splash’
‘Maybe it’s just the angle I took the picture or the light, but I don’t know.
‘I just think it’s funny how much it looks like a person. The more you look at it, the more you see it.’
Ms Barlow, a retired childminder, claimed she could see Carl’s resemblance to Donald Trump but not Jesus.
She added: ‘I can see Tommy Cooper, Rafael Benitez and Donald Trump when I look closely but I wouldn’t say he looks like Jesus though myself.
Kath Mitchell, Centre Manager at Notcutts Ashton Park, said: ‘This customer photo has created a bit of a splash and we think it’s ‘fin-tastic’ that Carl the Koi Carp is having his five minutes of fame.
‘We hope that his new-found celebrity status doesn’t go to his head!
‘Everyone sees something different when they look at the snap and suggestions so far have ranged from Manchester City’s very own Pep Guardiola, Jesus and even Donald Trump.
‘Carl is available for ‘o-fish-ial’ selfies in our Maidenhead Aquatics concession now.’