Barkley Stumps, a lovable corgi, has two favorite hobbies: soaking up sunshine and soaking up attention. But recently, he managed to do both in the most unexpected way.
One morning, his owner, Tracey Noble, was straightening up the house when she paused to admire her turtle Larry’s freshly cleaned aquarium. The water sparkled, Larry paddled peacefully — everything looked perfectly normal.
Until she looked again.
“Suddenly, I realized Larry wasn’t alone,” Noble told The Dodo. “It looked like Barkley was in the tank!”
For a split second, Noble thought her corgi had somehow squeezed in with the turtle.
But the truth was even better: Barkley was actually lounging in a sunny spot behind her, and the light had cast his reflection so clearly onto the glass that it appeared he’d joined Larry underwater.
“I started laughing and grabbed my phone,” Noble said. “It was magical.”
The optical illusion didn’t last long. As the sun shifted, Barkley’s reflection faded — but not before Noble called her daughter over so they could share the laugh together.
“Barkley was thrilled that we were laughing and that he was the center of attention, for sure!” she said.
Later, Noble posted the photo online, where thousands of people were just as delighted by the corgi’s accidental aquarium cameo.
“He would be so happy to know he brought joy to so many people,” Noble said. “I’m not sure I could recreate that moment if I tried!”
Want to keep up with Barkley’s real-life adventures (no optical illusions required)? You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook.
