Introducing the islands that love to play “peek-a-boo”, testing the patience of explorers as well as scientists.
The seabed always contains countless interesting and terrifying things. But what floats above the sea is equally mysterious: the islands themselves!
Take a look at 5 islands that no longer exist, but are always reminded and rumored.
In 1858, a train of the New York fertilizer company roamed the Pacific Ocean to find… bird droppings on the islands, to bring back to produce fertilizer.
God did not disappoint people, eventually they discovered a tiny island. They named it Sarah Anne and… claimed their ownership! According to the company, the island is located at 4 degrees north latitude and 154.22 degrees west longitude. It is located in the northeast of the famous Christmas Island.
This is Christmas Island, and Sarah Anne Island is unidentifiable.
Fifteen years later, cartographers of the US government searched and searched and searched, but could not find Sarah Anne Island anywhere. But that’s okay, the small island is… it’s okay to ignore.
It wasn’t until 1937 that a group of astronomers, based on observations and calculations, discovered Sarah Anne again. But it is located at 4 degrees south latitude, not 4 degrees north latitude as the New York Fertilizer company claims! And it’s been on the map for a long time, it’s Malden Island!
Aerial view of part of present-day Hawaii.
Today, Hawaii is the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. However, it only achieved that title in modern times.
Once upon a time, there was an island one and a half times larger. It is called Maui Nui (which in Hawaiian means “big island of Maui”). But this “sub-island” was split into 4 small islands, namely Maui, Moloka’i, Lana’i and Kaho’olawe today.
In the past, volcanic lava disturbed the terrain and added more area to the island of Maui Nui. However, when the volcano stopped, the lava cooled down and sank to the bottom of the sea, officially separating Maui Nui into 4 small islands.
Evidence shows that the other four isolated islands once “fused” together, that is, they have very similar flora and fauna.
According to many records and rumors, Sandy Island lies between the waters of Australia and New Caledonia. It is about 24km long, with an area of about 117 square kilometers (double the area of Hoi An city).
Sandy Island has appeared on many maps, from the 1908 map to the Google Map. The problem is that when University of Sydney researchers sailed to that location in 2012, they found only… the sea
Sandy Island only appears on… Google Earth?
But there are so many people reporting about the new Sandy Island! In 1772, the British explorer recorded a trip across this island. In 1876, sailors of the Velocity from England also saw Sandy Island. However, no one has ever set foot on the island.
The image was spread by netizens with the hashtag #FindSandy (Find Sandy Island).
Did this island sink? The sonar map (for measuring depth) shows that the sea around Sandy Island is very deep, but there are no traces of foundations or mountains on the bottom. That means, there is only one possibility that Sandy Island is deep, very deep under the sea. But there is no earthquake big enough to cause such a thing?!
One more verifiable thing here: Google Map reported Sandy Island “doesn’t exist” ! Ok Google!
In the 1840s, a man named Soma, who lived on Cook Island in the South Pacific, told missionaries that he had visited Tuanaki Island.
This is Cook Island. According to rumors, the wonderful Tuanaki Island is quite close to Cook Island, but I can’t find it anymore
During that sea voyage, Soma’s train saw a small island. Immediately, the captain gave Soma a knife to fight the natives when needed. However, Aboriginal people are very… cute and love to dance.
They welcomed the group of strangers warmly, served delicious dishes, and also gave pork, bananas, coconuts and other specialties to bring back. A strange thing is that on the island, men and women live in separate houses!
Painting of Tuanaki Island by Miner artist.
Soma determined that Tuanaki Island is located about 100km from Mangaia Island and has an area of about 1.3 square kilometers. Hearing the story was so interesting, the missionaries decided to find Tuanaki Island. But after two probes in 1844 and 1856, all were in vain.
Perhaps the island has sunk, or is it all a fabrication? But people in Cook Island today, they still believe and pass on the story of the peaceful island, like to dance endlessly.
Painting of the ancient island of Ferdinandea and its bottom.
This island is just 31km off the southern coast of Sicily (an autonomous region of Italy). In fact, the “island” is the tip of a volcano under the sea.
The first record of the island of Ferdinandea from ancient Roman times, specifically around 264 – 241 BC. After that, due to volcanic activity, this island rose and sank many times. Sounds exactly like the love story of two opposite islands in Disney’s animated short “Lava”, right?
In July 1831, the volcano erupted again and the island of Ferdinandea appeared again. This time the outcrop is 5km in circumference, 65m above sea level. Six months later, it sank again. In 2002, it also “breathed” a little and… went scuba diving.