Serpent d'océan

Serpent d'océan is an aluminium sculpture in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, France, shaped like a giant serpent skeleton. The vertebrae rise from the sand and lead to a head with an open jaw facing the sea.

The work was created in 2012 by Chinese-French artist Huang Yong Ping as part of the Estuaire art exhibition along the Loire estuary. The sculpture remained after the exhibition ended and became a permanent part of the coastal landscape.

The skeleton bears the French name for "ocean serpent" and merges Chinese dragon symbolism with Western science. Visitors often gather around the jaws to take photos or watch the tides shift around the frame.

The sculpture stands at Mindin point where the Loire flows into the Atlantic and can be reached by a walk along the beach. Tide tables help plan when the skeleton is fully visible or partly underwater.

At high tide, most of the structure disappears below the ocean surface and only the head and upper vertebrae remain visible. Water flows through the bones and makes the serpent look like an actual sea creature emerging.

Location: Saint-Brevin-les-Pins

Inception: 2012

Creator: Huang Yong Ping

Made from material: aluminium

Address: Pointe de Mindin, Av. de Mindin, 44250 Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, France

Phone: +33240757507

Website: https://levoyageanantes.fr/oeuvres/serpent-docean

GPS coordinates: 47.26778,-2.17066

Latest update: December 17, 2025 09:33