The message behind the piece seems to be one of environmental nostalgia, as though man's mistreatment of the oceans is killing not only its life, but its very wonder and fantasy. The serpent's curves roughly mirror the twists and turns of the nearby Saint-Nazaire bridge linking the piece to the very modern progress it seems to be speaking on. However, the work is read, the aspect that is without debate is the menace projected by the fearfully undead snake. 

Given its location on the shore, the Serpent D'Océan can be seen as a strangely living creature rising from the ocean waters or a purposefully preserved skeleton held above the shallow waves depending on the level of the tide upon a given visit. But despite the changing tides, fantasy, art, and horror have rarely been so steadfastly intertwined.