Woman's holiday photo freaks out the internet

The bizarre image has a scientific explanation, but it's still not your average holiday pic. Photo / Reddit

One woman got a surprise when looking through her holiday snaps - a photo that looks like her head is attached to her legs.

The strange optical illusion was posted to Reddit, where the image quickly grew in popularity, amusing and freaking out viewers in equal measures.

The eerie photo is likely due to a trick of light and refraction, but that didn't stop Reddit users coming up with range of comical conclusions.

"Well, I guess she just has a leg-up on the competition," one commenter quipped.

"Such an impossible body image to live up to," wrote another.

The Reddit user who posted the image added the caption, "do her legs go all the way up?" Photo / Reddit

While other viewers took a more scientific view.

"Refraction. When light leaves/enters the water, it is bent, travelling in a different direction to your eye," someone wrote.

"What you see from this low camera angle is what you'd see from a much steeper camera angle if the water were not there."

Another added, "to elaborate, when the light leaves the water at a high enough angle it will begin to reflect."

The photo continues the internet's fascination with optical illusions. Other popular images to go viral include the 'save me' tattoo, the creepy selfie, and the 'ghoulish Belfast photo'.

-nzherald.co.nz