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Phantom island

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Phantom island

A phantom island is a purported island which has appeared on maps but was later found not to exist. They usually originate from the reports of early sailors exploring new regions, and are commonly the result of navigational errors, mistaken observations, unverified misinformation, or deliberate fabrication. Some have remained on maps for centuries before being "un-discovered". Unlike lost lands, which are claimed (or known) to have once existed but to have been swallowed by the sea or otherwise destroyed, a phantom island is one that is claimed to exist contemporaneously, but later found not to have existed in the first place (or found not to be an island, as with the Island of California).

Tables

· List of phantom islands
Anaa-ti
Anaa-ti
Name
Anaa-ti
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 22° 15′ S, 137° 30′ W, in the Tuamotus. Believed to be a mistaken sighting of a nearby island.
Anson Archipelago
Anson Archipelago
Name
Anson Archipelago
Antillia
Antillia
Name
Antillia
Date of alleged discovery
c. 14/15th century
Notes
The island, like the more popular Atlantis, is a fictional island in the Atlantic originating from an Iberian legend.
Antonio d'Ulloa Island
Antonio d'Ulloa Island
Name
Antonio d'Ulloa Island
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Discovered by the Spanish captain Antonio de Ulloa at 37° 02′ S, 78° 20′ W. Noted as doubtful in 1875.
Arthur Island
Arthur Island
Name
Arthur Island
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given by Arrowsmith as 3° 30′ S, 176° W. Noted to be needing confirmation of existence and position in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
Atlantis
Atlantis
Name
Atlantis
Date of alleged discovery
c. 360 BC
Notes
Ancient Greek legend described by Plato, later hypothesized to be real, and depicted on a 1664 map by Athanasius Kircher.
Aurora Islands
Aurora Islands
Name
Aurora Islands
Date of alleged discovery
1762
Notes
Discovered by Spanish merchant ship Aurora, currently thought to be the Shag Rocks.
Bacalao
Bacalao
Name
Bacalao
Date of alleged discovery
1472
Notes
Gaspar Frutuoso noted its discovery by João Vaz Corte-Real in 1472 in Saudades da Terra.
Bale of Cotton
Bale of Cotton
Name
Bale of Cotton
Date of alleged discovery
1767
Notes
A rock in the mouth of the Bay of Bengal, located at 5° 22′ N "100 leagues east from Pointe de Galle." A passenger on the boat that saw the rock claimed to have physically gone onto it. Doubtful by 1817 and not seen on modern maps.
Bermeja
Bermeja
Name
Bermeja
Date of alleged discovery
1539
Notes
Discovered in the early 16th century by Spain, but mysteriously vanished sometime during the 17th century. While no dominant theory holds, it is possible that the island submerged due to tectonic movements, supported by the existence of a seamount at 22°38 ′N 90°51 ′W / 22 °N 90 °W / 22 ; -90 and the nearby Scorpion Reef.
Bonetta Rocks
Bonetta Rocks
Name
Bonetta Rocks
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 16° 32′ N, 20° 57′ W, between Cape Verde and Mauritania. Could not be found in 1838.
Bradley Land
Bradley Land
Name
Bradley Land
Date of alleged discovery
1909
Notes
A mass of land named by Frederick Cook which he claimed to have seen between (84°20′N 102°0′W / 84 °N 102 °W / 84 ; -102 ) and (85°11′N 102°0′W / 85 °N 102 °W / 85 ; -102 ) during a 1909 expedition.
Brasil or Hy-Brasil
Brasil or Hy-Brasil
Name
Brasil or Hy-Brasil
Date of alleged discovery
1325
Notes
Said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland. Irish myths described it as cloaked in mist except for one day every seven years, when it became visible but still could not be reached. Several 16th century maps showing the island of Brasil also showed an island labelled Demar further south-west.
Britomart Island
Britomart Island
Name
Britomart Island
Date of alleged discovery
1822
Notes
Discoverer unknown; location given as 19° 52' S, 145° 50' W. Noted to be doubtful in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
Buss Island
Buss Island
Name
Buss Island
Date of alleged discovery
1578
Notes
Found in the waters near Greenland, in which Martin Frobisher, the leader of the island-finding expedition, probably made a mistake in dead reckoning and mistook optical effects near Greenland for a new island.
Byers's Island
Byers's Island
Name
Byers's Island
Island of California
Island of California
Name
Island of California
Date of alleged discovery
1510
Notes
A misconception about the Baja California Peninsula being an island due to an assumption that the Gulf of California was instead a strait separating California from the rest of the Americas.
Candyn
Candyn
Name
Candyn
Cassiterides
Cassiterides
Name
Cassiterides
Date of alleged discovery
430 BC
Notes
Ancient source of Phoenician tin. Exact location unknown but thought to have possibly referred to now silt-connected islands within the marshes of Brière.
Clark's Reef
Clark's Reef
Name
Clark's Reef
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Discoverer unknown, location given as 8° 18′ S, 139° 50′ (or 52′) W. Admiral Du Petit Thouars could not find the reef, sounding 200 fathoms.
Cloate's Island
Cloate's Island
Name
Cloate's Island
Date of alleged discovery
1618
Notes
Various locations; sometimes 21° 30′ S, 92° 42′ E, in the Indian Ocean, west of Australia. Probably the headland now known as Point Cloates.
Crockerland
Crockerland
Name
Crockerland
Date of alleged discovery
1906
Notes
A hoax invented by Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary to gain more financial aid from George Crocker, one of his financial backers.
Davis Land
Davis Land
Name
Davis Land
Date of alleged discovery
1687
Notes
Supposedly sighted by the pirate Edward Davis in the Pacific along the southern latitude of 27 to 28 degrees, which was on the same latitude as the Spanish-controlled gold mines of Copiago. At the time, it was believed that gold could be found elsewhere along the latitude so several navigators were instructed to seek it out on their voyages. Never
Isle of Demons
Isle of Demons
Name
Isle of Demons
Date of alleged discovery
1508
Notes
Probably a relocated version of the island of Satanazes (see island below).
Denia/Davia
Denia/Davia
Name
Denia/Davia
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 41° or 42° S, 20° E, in close vicinity of Marzeveen/Maarseveen. Not seen on modern maps.
Diego Alvarez
Diego Alvarez
Name
Diego Alvarez
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 39° 10′ S, 11° 15′ W, between Tristan da Cunha and Gough. Not seen on modern maps.
Dougherty Island
Dougherty Island
Name
Dougherty Island
Date of alleged discovery
1841
Notes
Because it is near Antarctica, it is likely that the discoverer, Captain Dougherty, and future explorers who confirmed it, saw fog banks and icebergs conveniently situated in the right place and time.
Dragon Island
Dragon Island
Name
Dragon Island
Date of alleged discovery
1869
Notes
Reported by Capt. Andrew of the bark Dragon at 24° 30′ N, 136° 36′ W. Found nonexistent in 1875.
Dunkin's Reef
Dunkin's Reef
Name
Dunkin's Reef
Date of alleged discovery
1824
Notes
Discovered by Dunkin; location given as 9° 50′ N, 154° 10′ E. Described as an extensive shoal. Noted as doubtful and possibly a mistaken sighting in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
Elizabeth Island
Elizabeth Island
Name
Elizabeth Island
Date of alleged discovery
1578
Notes
Described by Francis Drake, who reported harbouring there during his circumnavigation. Not found by subsequent explorers; in 1939 Felix Riesenberg suggested Pactolus Bank as a possible remnant, though recent surveys suggest the Bank may itself be a phantom feature.
Emerald Island
Emerald Island
Name
Emerald Island
Date of alleged discovery
1821
Notes
Probably fog banks and icebergs (see Dougherty Island above); the abyssal plain below it was named Emerald Plain, however, in recognition of the nonexistent island.
Emily Rock
Emily Rock
Name
Emily Rock
Date of alleged discovery
1869
Notes
Sighted at 25° 38' S, 87° 25' W by the bark Emily. Reportedly measured to be 15' tall and 120' long. 2 other sightings were reported in 1873, now described as being 3/4th mile long and 20 feet at its tallest point, made of sandy volcanic stone. Several vessels passed through the area but did not see it.
Ernest Legouve Reef
Ernest Legouve Reef
Name
Ernest Legouve Reef
Date of alleged discovery
1902
Notes
A reef supposedly found by the captain of the French ship, Ernest Legouvé, which is near the exact location of the fictional Lincoln Island, the main setting for Jules Verne's book The Mysterious Island, also appearing in In Search of the Castaways.
Estotiland
Estotiland
Name
Estotiland
Date of alleged discovery
1558
Notes
An island appearing on the Zeno map at the current location of Labrador.
Faith Island
Faith Island
Name
Faith Island
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 21° 10′ S, 138° 52′ W, in the Tuamotus. Believed to be a mistaken sighting of a nearby island.
Fata Morgana Land
Fata Morgana Land
Name
Fata Morgana Land
Date of alleged discovery
1907
Notes
J . Koch, together with Aage Bertelsen, was reported to have first seen Fata Morgana Land (Danish: Fata Morgana Landet) lying in the Arctic Ocean around 80°00´N 10°00´W between NE Greenland and Svalbard. This elusive land was allegedly seen as well by Lauge Koch from the air in 1933.
Filippo Reef
Filippo Reef
Name
Filippo Reef
Date of alleged discovery
1886
Notes
This reef, part of the Line Islands, was first seen by the ship Filippo and was seen again in 1926 when both ships saw breakers in the same area, suggesting a depth of 0 to 0 metres (2 to 3 feet). Current observations show the reported location to have a depth of 5 kilometres (3 miles; 2 nautical miles), and the nearest shallow seamount i
Fonseca Island
Fonseca Island
Name
Fonseca Island
Date of alleged discovery
1544
Notes
An island sighted east of Barbados.
Frisland
Frisland
Name
Frisland
Date of alleged discovery
1558
Notes
Another island on the Zeno map, possibly a renamed Iceland.
Ganges Island
Ganges Island
Name
Ganges Island
Date of alleged discovery
20th century
Notes
A nonexistent island off the coast of Japan to the southwest of the Shatsky Rise.
Isle Grande
Isle Grande
Name
Isle Grande
Date of alleged discovery
1675
Notes
Discovered by Antonio de la Roche. Roche only passed the island on its eastern side. Various locations given, all at 45° 15′ S, but otherwise differing at 38° 15′ W (per la Roche), 45° 30′ W, and 35° 30′ W; considered uncertain by 1808. Possibly a mistaken sighting of a projecting headland from South America, as la Roche never saw the other side.
Great Ireland
Great Ireland
Name
Great Ireland
Groclant
Groclant
Name
Groclant
Date of alleged discovery
1569
Notes
An island to the west of Greenland, perhaps a misreading of the island's name, or Baffin Island.
Haymet Rocks
Haymet Rocks
Name
Haymet Rocks
Date of alleged discovery
1863
Notes
Reported to be located South of Rarotonga; two rocks, about 0 miles apart, with 7 or 8 feet of water over them; have not been found since.
Humphrey Island
Humphrey Island
Name
Humphrey Island
Date of alleged discovery
1822
Notes
Discoverer unknown; location given as 16° 52' S, 140° 30' W. Krusenstern doubted its existence and was noted as doubtful in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
Hyperborea
Hyperborea
Name
Hyperborea
Date of alleged discovery
Antiquity to 17th century
Notes
Hypothetic land of a mythical people living in the far north of the known world, depicted as the mirror continent of Antarctica on the Mercator map.
Ilha de Vera Cruz
Ilha de Vera Cruz
Name
Ilha de Vera Cruz
Date of alleged discovery
1500
Notes
A supposed 'island' found by Portuguese explorers, which turned out not to be an island but rather what is currently known as Brazil.
Jacquet Island
Jacquet Island
Name
Jacquet Island
Date of alleged discovery
Middle Ages
Notes
An island just to the east of the Flemish Cap; it was believed to exist into the 19th century, during which cartographers discussed it as a possible midway point for the Transatlantic telegraph cable.
Jave la Grande
Jave la Grande
Name
Jave la Grande
Juan de Lisboa
Juan de Lisboa
Name
Juan de Lisboa
Date of alleged discovery
17th century
Notes
Reported on maps as being southeast of Madagascar.
Jupiter Reef
Jupiter Reef
Name
Jupiter Reef
Date of alleged discovery
1878
Notes
Nonexistent reef in the Line Islands (in fact Line Islands are more than 3,200 kilometres (2,000 miles; 1,700 nautical miles) away), to the south of the also nonexistent Ernest Legouve Reef (see above).
Kantia
Kantia
Name
Kantia
Date of alleged discovery
1884
Notes
Found in 1884 by Johan Otto Polter, who, in four later expeditions through 1909, disproved the island's existence.
Keenan Land
Keenan Land
Name
Keenan Land
Date of alleged discovery
1870s
Notes
Large landmass reportedly discovered in the Arctic north of Alaska; numerous searches failed to relocate it.
Kentzell's Island
Kentzell's Island
Name
Kentzell's Island
Date of alleged discovery
1856
Notes
Reported by Capt. Kentzell of San Francisco at approx. 40° N, 150° 30′ W. The island, 20 miles long and "very low," was said to have a large seal and sea elephant population, and therefore was kept secret by seal hunters. Searches failed to find it while sightings still came in through the 1860s, including one by the Kanrin Maru in 1859. Finally di
Kettendyk's Droogte
Kettendyk's Droogte
Name
Kettendyk's Droogte
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 33° S, 4° 25′ E, northeast of Tristan da Cunha and west of South Africa. Unsuccessfully searched for, and not seen on modern maps.
Kianida Island or Cianeis Insula
Kianida Island or Cianeis Insula
Name
Kianida Island or Cianeis Insula
Date of alleged discovery
1467
Notes
Supposedly known in Antiquity, a large island the size of Thassos but situated off the Black Sea coast of Thrace in the present Bulgaria-Turkey border area. Depicted on the 1467 map Nona Europae Tabula by Nicolaus Germanus based on Claudius Ptolemy's Geography. According to Bulgarian geomorphologist Dinyo Kanev, probably destroyed by sea in the Mid
Krusenstern Rock
Krusenstern Rock
Name
Krusenstern Rock
Date of alleged discovery
1804
Notes
Reported as a breaker at 22° 15' N, 175° 37' W. Capt. R. Suffern of the Craigerne reported that he was at these exact coordinates in 1897 but there was no sign of the rock.
L'Enfants Perdu Islands
L'Enfants Perdu Islands
Name
L'Enfants Perdu Islands
Date of alleged discovery
1768
Notes
Discovered by Bougainville, variously placed at 14° 16′ S, 177° 23′ W or 14° 20′ S, 176° 40′ W. Found doubtful in 1875 after searches found no land in the area. Possibly a mistaken sighting of the Horne Islands.
Jane Island
Jane Island
Name
Jane Island
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 16° 10′ N, 173° 15′ W. Could not be found in 1841, and the island being a mistaken sighting of Johnston Atoll was ruled out due to latitude. Not seen on modern maps.
Los Jardines
Los Jardines
Name
Los Jardines
Date of alleged discovery
1528
Notes
A pair of phantom islands to the east of the Marshall Islands.
Jesus Island
Jesus Island
Name
Jesus Island
Date of alleged discovery
1567
Notes
Reported by Mendaña at 6° 45′ S, 171° 30′ E. Krusenstern doubted its existence and it was noted as doubtful in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
María de Lajara or Maria Laxar
María de Lajara or Maria Laxar
Name
María de Lajara or Maria Laxar
Date of alleged discovery
17th century
Notes
Usually located northeast from Hawaii, but perhaps originally one of the Bonin Islands.
Maria Theresa Reef (aka Tabor Island or Tabor Reef)
Maria Theresa Reef (aka Tabor Island or Tabor Reef)
Name
Maria Theresa Reef (aka Tabor Island or Tabor Reef)
Date of alleged discovery
1843
Notes
Another nonexistent reef in the Line Islands (in fact Line Islands are more than 3,200 kilometres (2,000 miles; 1,700 nautical miles) away), slightly to the southwest-west of the phantom island, Jupiter Reef. It is a setting for Jules Verne's book In Search of the Castaways.
Maria Rock
Maria Rock
Name
Maria Rock
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 19° 45′ N, 20° 50′ W, off of Mauritania. Could not be found in 1838.
Marzeveen/Maarseveen
Marzeveen/Maarseveen
Name
Marzeveen/Maarseveen
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 41° or 42° S, 20° E, in close vicinity of Denia/Davia. Not seen on modern maps.
Matsyn Island
Matsyn Island
Name
Matsyn Island
Maury Island
Maury Island
Name
Maury Island
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 27° S, 95° 06′ W. Not seen on modern maps, but could not be located on any historical maps either.
Mayda or Isle of Mam
Mayda or Isle of Mam
Name
Mayda or Isle of Mam
Date of alleged discovery
1367
Notes
A crescent-shaped island in the North Atlantic that does not appear to exist; however, there is a crescent-shaped group of seamounts 37 metres (120 feet) deep near its described location.
Merrill Island
Merrill Island
Name
Merrill Island
Date of alleged discovery
1832
Notes
Reported by Captain Harding Merrill of the Comboy at 16° 38′ S, 141° W. Reportedly inhabited by people resembling Hawaiians. Noted doubtful in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
Islas de Mesa
Islas de Mesa
Name
Islas de Mesa
Date of alleged discovery
1555
Notes
A Spanish navigator named Juan Gaetano charted an archipelago of islands in the Central Pacific Ocean at approximately 20° N, 138° W that he named the "Islas de Mesa," with islands named La Mesa, La Desgraciada, and Los Monjes. These islands were removed from Spanish charts after James Cook landed in Hawaiʻi in 1778, and it is believed that the "I
Minnehaha Rock
Minnehaha Rock
Name
Minnehaha Rock
Date of alleged discovery
1879
Notes
Sighted by Capt. Beckwith of the Victoria at 25° 50' S, 106° 20' W. No subsequent sightings have been made.
Mokupāpapa
Mokupāpapa
Name
Mokupāpapa
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Known to the Native Hawaiians as a 'flat island' (translated literally from its name) to the southwest of the island of Niʻihau, past Kaʻula, described variously as 'a five-hour sail' from the latter and 'halfway to Tahiti' and actively being traveled to in James Cook's time, but a search by the voyage's men could not find it.
Nachtegal Rock
Nachtegal Rock
Name
Nachtegal Rock
Date of alleged discovery
1861
Notes
Seen by HMS Sphinx at 40° 20′ S, 52° 55′ E. Last seen in charts in 1878.
Nameless Island
Nameless Island
Name
Nameless Island
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Discoverer unknown; location given as 2° 50′ S, 170° 18′ E. Noted as doubtful in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
New Badalgo
New Badalgo
Name
New Badalgo
Date of alleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 18° 15′ N, 143° 40′ W. Not seen on modern maps.
New South Greenland
New South Greenland
Name
New South Greenland
Date of alleged discovery
1823
Notes
Unknown odd island near Antarctica, which captain Benjamin Morrell of the ship Wasp saw while traveling north from Antarctica. He thought it to be the Antarctic Peninsula (then called New South Greenland), but his reported location during the voyage, while perfectly copying the expected path for traveling up the peninsula, was over 500 kilometres (
New York and Nexsen Islands
New York and Nexsen Islands
Name
New York and Nexsen Islands
Date of alleged discovery
1798
Notes
Reported by a Mr. Fanning on the Betsy at 8° 9′ S, 141° 30 ′ W based on location seven hours after sighting. Smoke noted, suggesting inhabitants. Observed from four to six leagues away and not approached. Suspected in 1851 to be a mistaken sighting of two nearby islands; not seen on modern maps.
Nimrod Islands
Nimrod Islands
Name
Nimrod Islands
Date of alleged discovery
1828
Notes
A group of islands between Emerald Island and Dougherty Island, both of which are nonexistent. Probably a group of icebergs together.
Pactolus Bank
Pactolus Bank
Name
Pactolus Bank
Date of alleged discovery
1885
Notes
An oceanic bank 120 metres (400 feet) deep off the west coast of Cape Horn, suggested as the remains of Elizabeth Island. A 1956 search of the area turned up no shallow areas in the reported location.
Name
Date of alleged discovery
Notes
Anaa-ti
Unknown
Location given as 22° 15′ S, 137° 30′ W, in the Tuamotus. Believed to be a mistaken sighting of a nearby island.
Anson Archipelago
Antillia
c. 14/15th century
The island, like the more popular Atlantis, is a fictional island in the Atlantic originating from an Iberian legend.
Antonio d'Ulloa Island
Unknown
Discovered by the Spanish captain Antonio de Ulloa at 37° 02′ S, 78° 20′ W. Noted as doubtful in 1875.
Arthur Island
Unknown
Location given by Arrowsmith as 3° 30′ S, 176° W. Noted to be needing confirmation of existence and position in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
Atlantis
c. 360 BC
Ancient Greek legend described by Plato, later hypothesized to be real, and depicted on a 1664 map by Athanasius Kircher.
Aurora Islands
1762
Discovered by Spanish merchant ship Aurora, currently thought to be the Shag Rocks.
Bacalao
1472
Gaspar Frutuoso noted its discovery by João Vaz Corte-Real in 1472 in Saudades da Terra.
Bale of Cotton
1767
A rock in the mouth of the Bay of Bengal, located at 5° 22′ N "100 leagues east from Pointe de Galle." A passenger on the boat that saw the rock claimed to have physically gone onto it. Doubtful by 1817 and not seen on modern maps.
Bermeja
1539
Discovered in the early 16th century by Spain, but mysteriously vanished sometime during the 17th century. While no dominant theory holds, it is possible that the island submerged due to tectonic movements, supported by the existence of a seamount at 22°38 ′N 90°51 ′W / 22 °N 90 °W / 22 ; -90 and the nearby Scorpion Reef.
Bonetta Rocks
Unknown
Location given as 16° 32′ N, 20° 57′ W, between Cape Verde and Mauritania. Could not be found in 1838.
Bradley Land
1909
A mass of land named by Frederick Cook which he claimed to have seen between (84°20′N 102°0′W / 84 °N 102 °W / 84 ; -102 ) and (85°11′N 102°0′W / 85 °N 102 °W / 85 ; -102 ) during a 1909 expedition.
Brasil or Hy-Brasil
1325
Said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland. Irish myths described it as cloaked in mist except for one day every seven years, when it became visible but still could not be reached. Several 16th century maps showing the island of Brasil also showed an island labelled Demar further south-west.
Britomart Island
1822
Discoverer unknown; location given as 19° 52' S, 145° 50' W. Noted to be doubtful in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
Buss Island
1578
Found in the waters near Greenland, in which Martin Frobisher, the leader of the island-finding expedition, probably made a mistake in dead reckoning and mistook optical effects near Greenland for a new island.
Byers's Island
Island of California
1510
A misconception about the Baja California Peninsula being an island due to an assumption that the Gulf of California was instead a strait separating California from the rest of the Americas.
Candyn
Cassiterides
430 BC
Ancient source of Phoenician tin. Exact location unknown but thought to have possibly referred to now silt-connected islands within the marshes of Brière.
Clark's Reef
Unknown
Discoverer unknown, location given as 8° 18′ S, 139° 50′ (or 52′) W. Admiral Du Petit Thouars could not find the reef, sounding 200 fathoms.
Cloate's Island
1618
Various locations; sometimes 21° 30′ S, 92° 42′ E, in the Indian Ocean, west of Australia. Probably the headland now known as Point Cloates.
Crockerland
1906
A hoax invented by Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary to gain more financial aid from George Crocker, one of his financial backers.
Davis Land
1687
Supposedly sighted by the pirate Edward Davis in the Pacific along the southern latitude of 27 to 28 degrees, which was on the same latitude as the Spanish-controlled gold mines of Copiago. At the time, it was believed that gold could be found elsewhere along the latitude so several navigators were instructed to seek it out on their voyages. Never
Isle of Demons
1508
Probably a relocated version of the island of Satanazes (see island below).
Denia/Davia
Unknown
Location given as 41° or 42° S, 20° E, in close vicinity of Marzeveen/Maarseveen. Not seen on modern maps.
Diego Alvarez
Unknown
Location given as 39° 10′ S, 11° 15′ W, between Tristan da Cunha and Gough. Not seen on modern maps.
Dougherty Island
1841
Because it is near Antarctica, it is likely that the discoverer, Captain Dougherty, and future explorers who confirmed it, saw fog banks and icebergs conveniently situated in the right place and time.
Dragon Island
1869
Reported by Capt. Andrew of the bark Dragon at 24° 30′ N, 136° 36′ W. Found nonexistent in 1875.
Dunkin's Reef
1824
Discovered by Dunkin; location given as 9° 50′ N, 154° 10′ E. Described as an extensive shoal. Noted as doubtful and possibly a mistaken sighting in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
Elizabeth Island
1578
Described by Francis Drake, who reported harbouring there during his circumnavigation. Not found by subsequent explorers; in 1939 Felix Riesenberg suggested Pactolus Bank as a possible remnant, though recent surveys suggest the Bank may itself be a phantom feature.
Emerald Island
1821
Probably fog banks and icebergs (see Dougherty Island above); the abyssal plain below it was named Emerald Plain, however, in recognition of the nonexistent island.
Emily Rock
1869
Sighted at 25° 38' S, 87° 25' W by the bark Emily. Reportedly measured to be 15' tall and 120' long. 2 other sightings were reported in 1873, now described as being 3/4th mile long and 20 feet at its tallest point, made of sandy volcanic stone. Several vessels passed through the area but did not see it.
Ernest Legouve Reef
1902
A reef supposedly found by the captain of the French ship, Ernest Legouvé, which is near the exact location of the fictional Lincoln Island, the main setting for Jules Verne's book The Mysterious Island, also appearing in In Search of the Castaways.
Estotiland
1558
An island appearing on the Zeno map at the current location of Labrador.
Faith Island
Unknown
Location given as 21° 10′ S, 138° 52′ W, in the Tuamotus. Believed to be a mistaken sighting of a nearby island.
Fata Morgana Land
1907
J . Koch, together with Aage Bertelsen, was reported to have first seen Fata Morgana Land (Danish: Fata Morgana Landet) lying in the Arctic Ocean around 80°00´N 10°00´W between NE Greenland and Svalbard. This elusive land was allegedly seen as well by Lauge Koch from the air in 1933.
Filippo Reef
1886
This reef, part of the Line Islands, was first seen by the ship Filippo and was seen again in 1926 when both ships saw breakers in the same area, suggesting a depth of 0 to 0 metres (2 to 3 feet). Current observations show the reported location to have a depth of 5 kilometres (3 miles; 2 nautical miles), and the nearest shallow seamount i
Fonseca Island
1544
An island sighted east of Barbados.
Frisland
1558
Another island on the Zeno map, possibly a renamed Iceland.
Ganges Island
20th century
A nonexistent island off the coast of Japan to the southwest of the Shatsky Rise.
Isle Grande
1675
Discovered by Antonio de la Roche. Roche only passed the island on its eastern side. Various locations given, all at 45° 15′ S, but otherwise differing at 38° 15′ W (per la Roche), 45° 30′ W, and 35° 30′ W; considered uncertain by 1808. Possibly a mistaken sighting of a projecting headland from South America, as la Roche never saw the other side.
Great Ireland
Groclant
1569
An island to the west of Greenland, perhaps a misreading of the island's name, or Baffin Island.
Haymet Rocks
1863
Reported to be located South of Rarotonga; two rocks, about 0 miles apart, with 7 or 8 feet of water over them; have not been found since.
Humphrey Island
1822
Discoverer unknown; location given as 16° 52' S, 140° 30' W. Krusenstern doubted its existence and was noted as doubtful in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
Hyperborea
Antiquity to 17th century
Hypothetic land of a mythical people living in the far north of the known world, depicted as the mirror continent of Antarctica on the Mercator map.
Ilha de Vera Cruz
1500
A supposed 'island' found by Portuguese explorers, which turned out not to be an island but rather what is currently known as Brazil.
Jacquet Island
Middle Ages
An island just to the east of the Flemish Cap; it was believed to exist into the 19th century, during which cartographers discussed it as a possible midway point for the Transatlantic telegraph cable.
Jave la Grande

References

  1. Canada and its Provinces
    https://books.google.com/books?id=8LqC9MHAl54C&pg=PA837&q=Michipicoten%2Bpontchartrain
  2. "South Pacific Sandy Island 'proven not to exist'"
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20442487
  3. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/22/sandy-island-missing-google-earth
  4. Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union
    https://doi.org/10.1002%2F2013eo150001
  5. Antarctica, p. 47, Paul Simpson-Housley, 1992.
    https://books.google.com/books?id=UIUOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA47
  6. Exploring Polar Frontiers, p. 435, William James Mills, 2003.
    https://books.google.com/books?id=PYdBH4dOOM4C&pg=PA435
  7. Lost Islands: The Story of Islands That Have Vanished from Nautical Charts
    http://archive.org/details/lostislands00henr
  8. A Directory for the Navigation of the Pacific Ocean: The islands, etc., of the Pacific Ocean
    https://books.google.com/books?id=p5tDAAAAIAAJ&q=quiros
  9. Chasing a Dream: The Exploration of the Imaginary Pacific
  10. H . Pub
    https://books.google.com/books?id=N30PAQAAIAAJ&dq=Yosemite+Rock+Sefton+Reef&pg=PA295
  11. "Catalogue of place names in northern East Greenland"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20200513044819/http://www.geus.dk/publications/bull/nr21/nr21_p117-368.pdf3
  12. Claudii Ptolomei Viri Alexandrini Cosmographie Octavus et Ultimus Liber Explicit Opus
    https://archive.org/details/cosmographia00ptol/page/n195
  13. Dikov, Ivan. Roman Era Map Shows Large Now-Sunken Island Off Black Sea Coast. Brewminate, 23 June 2018.
    http://brewminate.com/roman-era-map-shows-large-now-sunken-island-off-black-sea-coast/
  14. Coast Pilot Notes on Hawaiian Islands: February 21, 1912
    https://books.google.com/books?id=Tuo6AQAAMAAJ&dq=Krusenstern+Rock&pg=PA52
  15. Science
    https://www.jstor.org/stable/1630836
  16. The Peopling of Hawaii
    https://books.google.com/books?id=jRq09rgP_HYC&lpg=PA14&pg=PA15#v=onepage&q&f=false
  17. SFGate
    https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/moku-papapa-hawaii-five-fathom-pinnacle-19832554.php
  18. Lib
    http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/onc/txu-pclmaps-oclc-8322829_r_22.jpg
  19. Pliny the Elder, Natural History; Book VI, Chapter 34
    http://penelope.uchicago.edu/holland/pliny6.html
  20. Tacitus, [[Agricola (book) |Agricola]], 10.
    http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/tacitus/tac.agri.shtml
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