Livestream from Patagonia falsely claimed to show Antarctica’s ‘Ice Wall’
A video is spreading on social media with claims that Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service enabled a livestreamer to show Antarctica’s “legendary ‘ice wall'” — a reference to the debunked flat-Earth conspiracy theory. But the Antarctic continent has been extensively explored and mapped by scientists and private tourist expeditions, and a review of the full video and the streamer’s cruise itinerary shows the footage was actually filmed in Patagonia.
“Because of Starlink, the first person has live streamed the legendary ‘ice wall’ in Antarctica,” says a February 9, 2026 post on X from influencer Mario Nawfal, whom AFP has previously fact-checked for promoting misinformation.
The claim earned a repost from Musk, the platform’s owner, who used the video to highlight his satellite internet service, which is designed to provide connectivity to remote regions.
Similar posts appeared across X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok — spreading in several languages, including Hindi.
Screenshot from X captured on February 13, 2026
Screenshot from X captured on February 13, 2026
The mentions of “Antarctica’s ice wall” reference a long-running conspiracy theory that the Earth is flat and encircled by a massive barrier of ice.
Some flat-Earth proponents also believe debunked claims that the “ice wall” was discovered by British naval officer Sir James Clark Ross and conceals unknown lands or civilizations.
But there is no evidence from explorations of the continent on ground or by aircraft to back the theory. And at the end of the video showing boats approaching a glacier, the streamer makes clear he is not in Antarctica, saying: “Patagonia is truly the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen.”
A reverse image search revealed that the video was snipped from an hours-long broadcast that “Ice Poseidon,” an American livestreamer and YouTuber whose real name is Paul Denino, aired February 8 on the platform Kick (archived here).
Denino’s multiple other posts on Kick make clear he was traveling aboard a ship with the Australis Cruises company. One showed him exploring Ushuaia — a port city in southern Argentina — which is the first leg on the “Patagonian Explorer” trip that concludes in Punta Arenas, Chile.
Despite the February 8 video’s title, “Boat to the end of the world,” the ship’s itinerary shows the voyage took place in Patagonia, not Antarctica (archived here).
The original stream also includes footage of a presentation from a tour operator outlining an itinerary that included Magdalena Island, which is located in Chilean territory in the Strait of Magellan.
Screenshot from Kick taken February 13, 2026
AFP has previously debunked other claims surrounding Antarctica here, here and here.
