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Phantom island

Updated: Wikipedia source

Phantom island

A phantom island is a purported island which has appeared on maps but 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 ofalleged 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.
Antillia
Antillia
Name
Antillia
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged discovery
1762
Notes
Discovered by Spanish merchant ship Aurora, currently thought to be the Shag Rocks.
Bacalao
Bacalao
Name
Bacalao
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 .mw- .mw- .mw- 22°38.76′N 90°51.3′W / 22.64600°N 90.8550°W / 22.64600; -90.8550 and the nearby Scorpion Reef.
Bonetta Rocks
Bonetta Rocks
Name
Bonetta Rocks
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged discovery
1909
Notes
A mass of land named by Frederick Cook which he claimed to have seen between (84°20′N 102°0′W / 84.333°N 102.000°W / 84.333; -102.000) and (85°11′N 102°0′W / 85.183°N 102.000°W / 85.183; -102.000) during a 1909 expedition.
Brasil or Hy-Brasil
Brasil or Hy-Brasil
Name
Brasil or Hy-Brasil
Date ofalleged 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.
Saint Brendan's Island
Saint Brendan's Island
Name
Saint Brendan's Island
Date ofalleged discovery
512
Notes
Claimed to have been first visited in 512 by the monk St. Brendan and 14 others, along with later reports up to 1772.
Britomart Island
Britomart Island
Name
Britomart Island
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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.
Island of California
Island of California
Name
Island of California
Date ofalleged 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.
Cassiterides
Cassiterides
Name
Cassiterides
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 found, it was also believed by William Dampier to be the coast of Terra Australis Incognita.
Isle of Demons
Isle of Demons
Name
Isle of Demons
Date ofalleged discovery
1508
Notes
Probably a relocated version of the island of Satanazes (see island below).
Denia/Davia
Denia/Davia
Name
Denia/Davia
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged discovery
1558
Notes
An island appearing on the Zeno map at the current location of Labrador.
Faith Island
Faith Island
Name
Faith Island
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged discovery
1907
Notes
J.P. 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 ofalleged 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 0.6 to 0.9 metres (2 to 3 feet). Current observations show the reported location to have a depth of 5.3 kilometres (3.3 miles; 2.9 nautical miles), and the nearest shallow seamount is about 4.7 kilometres (2.9 miles; 2.5 nautical miles) deep, disproving the existence of the island.
Fonseca Island
Fonseca Island
Name
Fonseca Island
Date ofalleged discovery
1544
Notes
An island sighted east of Barbados.
Frisland
Frisland
Name
Frisland
Date ofalleged discovery
1558
Notes
Another island on the Zeno map, possibly a renamed Iceland.
Ganges Island
Ganges Island
Name
Ganges Island
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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.
Groclant
Groclant
Name
Groclant
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged discovery
1863
Notes
Reported to be located South of Rarotonga; two rocks, about 0.25 miles apart, with 7 or 8 feet of water over them; have not been found since.
Humphrey Island
Humphrey Island
Name
Humphrey Island
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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.
Juan de Lisboa
Juan de Lisboa
Name
Juan de Lisboa
Date ofalleged discovery
17th century
Notes
Reported on maps as being southeast of Madagascar.
Jupiter Reef
Jupiter Reef
Name
Jupiter Reef
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 disproven by a survey in 1867.
Kettendyk's Droogte
Kettendyk's Droogte
Name
Kettendyk's Droogte
Date ofalleged 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 Islandor Cianeis Insula
Kianida Islandor Cianeis Insula
Name
Kianida Islandor Cianeis Insula
Date ofalleged 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 Middle Ages.
Krusenstern Rock
Krusenstern Rock
Name
Krusenstern Rock
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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.
Los Jardines
Los Jardines
Name
Los Jardines
Date ofalleged discovery
1528
Notes
A pair of phantom islands to the east of the Marshall Islands.
Jane Island
Jane Island
Name
Jane Island
Date ofalleged 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.
Jesus Island
Jesus Island
Name
Jesus Island
Date ofalleged 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.
Marzeveen/Maarseveen
Marzeveen/Maarseveen
Name
Marzeveen/Maarseveen
Date ofalleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 41° or 42° S, 20° E, in close vicinity of Denia/Davia. 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 19° 45′ N, 20° 50′ W, off of Mauritania. Could not be found in 1838.
Maury Island
Maury Island
Name
Maury Island
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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.
Minnehaha Rock
Minnehaha Rock
Name
Minnehaha Rock
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Known to the Native Hawaiians as a 'flat island' (translated literally from its name) to the southwest of the island of Niihau, 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.
Nameless Island
Nameless Island
Name
Nameless Island
Date ofalleged 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 York and Nexsen Islands
New York and Nexsen Islands
Name
New York and Nexsen Islands
Date ofalleged discovery
1798
Notes
Reported by a Mr. Fanning on the Betsy at 8° 9′ S, 141° 30.5′ 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.
St. Elmo
St. Elmo
Name
St. Elmo
Date ofalleged discovery
1606
Notes
Reported by Quiros, location 21° 20' S, 143° 50' W. Said to be low, surrounded by coral reefs, with a 30 Spanish leagues circumference. Noted as doubtful in 1851; not seen on modern maps.
St. Matthew Island
St. Matthew Island
Name
St. Matthew Island
Date ofalleged discovery
1516
Notes
An island near the coast of Africa, roughly 1,000 kilometres (620 miles; 540 nautical miles) east-northeast of Ascension Island and possibly confused with the same latitude Annobón Island.
Mount Penglai
Mount Penglai
Name
Mount Penglai
Date ofalleged discovery
Antiquity
Notes
An island thirty-thousand leagues to the east off the coast of Shandong. Associated with numerous East Asian myths and legends.
Nachtegal Rock
Nachtegal Rock
Name
Nachtegal Rock
Date ofalleged discovery
1861
Notes
Seen by HMS Sphinx at 40° 20′ S, 52° 55′ E. Last seen in charts in 1878.
New Badalgo
New Badalgo
Name
New Badalgo
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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 (310 miles; 270 nautical miles) to the east and 97 kilometres (60 miles; 52 nautical miles) to the north of the actual position of the Antarctic Peninsula, suggesting either a huge miscalculation in location or sightings of icebergs and fog, typical of phantom islands in the Antarctic Circle.
Nimrod Islands
Nimrod Islands
Name
Nimrod Islands
Date ofalleged 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 ofalleged 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.
Passion/Paxarus Island
Passion/Paxarus Island
Name
Passion/Paxarus Island
Date ofalleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 25° 48′ N, 136° 36′ W or 26° 12′ N, 136° W. No sign of the island could be find in 1873.
Pepys Island
Pepys Island
Name
Pepys Island
Date ofalleged discovery
1683
Notes
In 1683, Ambrose Cowley reported an unknown island where he thought the Falklands were, but his location was 4 degrees to the north of the Falkland Islands. While it is possible that he made a mistake in seeing a nonexistent island, it is more likely he saw one of the Falkland Islands and made a 4-degree error in his location.
Petermannland
Petermannland
Name
Petermannland
Date ofalleged discovery
Between 1860 and 1874
Notes
North of Franz Josef Land, named after August Heinrich Petermann.
Isle Phelipeaux
Isle Phelipeaux
Name
Isle Phelipeaux
Date ofalleged discovery
1744
Notes
A nonexistent island in Lake Superior referenced in the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
Podesta
Podesta
Name
Podesta
Date ofalleged discovery
1879
Notes
An island 1,390 kilometres (860 miles; 750 nautical miles) to the west of El Quisco, Chile, that was discovered to be fake in 1935 and promptly removed. Other phantom islands were also found in the vicinity in 1912 and 1858 (see Sarah Ann Island).
Polvaro Island
Polvaro Island
Name
Polvaro Island
Date ofalleged discovery
1505
Notes
Usually placed at or near 9° 20′ S, 89° E. Reportedly discovered after a Portuguese ship withdrawing from Malacca to Cape Comorin was lost nearby. Sometimes called Apaluria; sighted into the 18th century. Said to be low, woody, eight to 10 miles long. Absence noted in 1866; allegedly "exploded."
Recreation Island
Recreation Island
Name
Recreation Island
Date ofalleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 15° 35′ S, 150° W, north of Tahiti. Position passed over with no sign of land, removed in 1864.
Reed/Redfield Rocks
Reed/Redfield Rocks
Name
Reed/Redfield Rocks
Date ofalleged discovery
1850
Notes
First sighting reported by Capt. Reed of the brig Emma at 37° 24′ N, 137° 22′ W in the Shipping Gazette. Mores sightings were made in varying locations in 1851, 1856, and 1866. They were said to be two rocks, 600–900 feet long and 50–40 feet across, under 3–5 fathoms of water and breakers in rough weather. Four surveys from 1871 to 1875 could not find them, but another sighting in 1889 said they were now four feet above the water. Another survey in 1902 disproved their existence, but were still marked on maps as doubtful.
Rivadeneyra Shoal
Rivadeneyra Shoal
Name
Rivadeneyra Shoal
Date ofalleged discovery
1842
Notes
A shoal in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Ilha dos Romeiros
Ilha dos Romeiros
Name
Ilha dos Romeiros
Date ofalleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 28° 40′ S, 74° E, between Madagascar and Australia. Removed from charts by 1856 or earlier.
Roque Piz
Roque Piz
Name
Roque Piz
Date ofalleged discovery
1649
Notes
First seen in a chart by João Teixeora, located at 6° S, 60° E. Seen on maps as late as 1865, described as being three flat islands. Likely a mistaken sighting of the Seychelles or Chagos.
Royal Company's Islands
Royal Company's Islands
Name
Royal Company's Islands
Date ofalleged discovery
Before 1840
Notes
A fictional island widely believed during the 19th century to be to the southwest of Tasmania. While not found by numerous expeditions in 1840, 1889, 1902, 1909, and 1912, the island was not officially removed from nautical charts until 1904.
Royllo
Royllo
Name
Royllo
Date ofalleged discovery
1424
Notes
A small island to the west of the mythical Antillia (see Antillia above).
Rupes Nigra
Rupes Nigra
Name
Rupes Nigra
Date ofalleged discovery
14th century
Notes
A magnetic, black island at the exact Magnetic North Pole, invented as an explanation for why all compasses point north.
Sandy Island
Sandy Island
Name
Sandy Island
Date ofalleged discovery
1774
Notes
Another phantom, small island to the west of New Caledonia that was recorded on many maps until 2012, when a surveying ship passed by and disproved its existence. The current leading explanation is that the island was a raft of buoyant pumice from a recent nearby seamount eruption.
Sannikov Land
Sannikov Land
Name
Sannikov Land
Date ofalleged discovery
1809
Notes
An island near the De Long Islands, north of Russia, that probably did exist but was destroyed due to coastal erosion.
Sarah Ann Island
Sarah Ann Island
Name
Sarah Ann Island
Date ofalleged discovery
1858
Notes
A phantom island near Easter Island, similar to Podesta island. See Operational Navigation Chart of the United States Department of Defense.
Satanazes
Satanazes
Name
Satanazes
Date ofalleged discovery
1424
Notes
This island was originally noted on maps in 1424, originating from popular legend of devils and demons attacking ships that went into the area, but the island was subsequently removed because it obviously did not exist. The island, often drawn to the north of the mythical Antillia, was purportedly full of evil demons but was sometimes called Salvaga to avoid using the profanity "devil".
Saxemberg Island
Saxemberg Island
Name
Saxemberg Island
Date ofalleged discovery
1670
Notes
An odd island midway between South America and Africa that numerous captains reported seeing in 1804, 1809, and 1816. While most had conflicting reports, all of them found the island in the same location; however, none of them actually made landfall. It is possible the island was volcanic and later erupted and destroyed itself. It is also possible that they were looking at Tristan de Cunha island.
Schjetman Reef
Schjetman Reef
Name
Schjetman Reef
Date ofalleged discovery
1868
Notes
To the west of the Hawaiian Islands, Schjetman Reef was originally found in 1868 to be an island 2.8 kilometres (1.7 miles; 1.5 nautical miles) long and 0.93 kilometres (0.58 miles; 0.5 nautical miles) wide. Later searches in 1880, 1923, and 1924 could not find the island.
Sefton Reef
Sefton Reef
Name
Sefton Reef
Date ofalleged discovery
1808
Notes
Approx. 83°W, 37°S (southwest of Robinson Crusoe Island), noted as "position doubtful" in Operational Navigation Chart of the United States Department of Defense.
Terra Nova Islands
Terra Nova Islands
Name
Terra Nova Islands
Date ofalleged discovery
1961
Notes
Thought to lie off Oates Coast, East Antarctica.
Thompson Island
Thompson Island
Name
Thompson Island
Date ofalleged discovery
1825
Notes
An island in the south Atlantic Ocean discovered by the whaling ship captain George Norris; it has not been seen since 1893.
Thule
Thule
Name
Thule
Date ofalleged discovery
325 BC
Notes
A mythical island in the far north, possibly at or above the Arctic Circle, mentioned in many works from the Roman and Medieval period. Sources in antiquity placed Thule several days travel north of Great Britain visible from Orkney; or north of Scythia. More modern scholars have suggested Thule may have been Ireland; the Estonian island of Saaremaa; or the Norwegian island of Smøla.
Tiburones
Tiburones
Name
Tiburones
Date ofalleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Captain D'Urville asked the residents of Uapoa about this island in August 1838. They claimed it existed, reporting it had high land, one sandy beach which could be approached in good weather, and a single male inhabitant (the others having fled). Location given as 11° S, 143° W; noted doubtful in 1851 and not seen on modern maps.
Torca Island
Torca Island
Name
Torca Island
Date ofalleged discovery
1693
Notes
A mythical island near Ambon in the Indonesia purportedly destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
Transit Reef
Transit Reef
Name
Transit Reef
Date ofalleged discovery
18th century
Notes
A possible reef in Southern Palau. While this reef probably exists, some maps do not list it as an actual location, and, although the reef doesn't have any land, the native name of the island, Pieraurou, means 'Sandy Navigation Point', implying a sandy island or sand bar.
Truls Island
Truls Island
Name
Truls Island
Date ofalleged discovery
1962
Notes
Reported by the tanker Truls at 56° S, 23° 15′ E. Marked on USHO Chart 5188B in October 1969 as "ED" (existence doubtful).
Tuanaki
Tuanaki
Name
Tuanaki
Date ofalleged discovery
1842
Notes
A vanished group of islets in the Cook Islands at which a sailor allegedly spent 6 days, but a ship traveling in the waters two years later found no island.
Turnbull Island
Turnbull Island
Name
Turnbull Island
Date ofalleged discovery
Unknown
Notes
Location given as 19° 52′ S, 143° 32′ W. Noted as doubtful in 1864 and removed from charts after 1875.
Two Brothers Reef
Two Brothers Reef
Name
Two Brothers Reef
Date ofalleged discovery
1823
Notes
Reportedly struck by a whaling ship in 1823, location listed as 24° 14' N, 168° 28′ W. Existence doubtful by 1912 due to lack of sightings; not seen on modern maps.
Wachusett Reef
Wachusett Reef
Name
Wachusett Reef
Date ofalleged discovery
1899
Notes
A nonexistent reef in the Line Islands – in fact Line Islands are more than 3,200 kilometres (2,000 miles; 1,700 nautical miles) away – along with Ernest Legouve Reef, Jupiter Reef, and Maria Theresa Reef. This reef, the largest of the three, was thought to be 9–10.5 metres (30–35 feet) deep. None of these reefs are currently believed to have actually existed.
Yosemite Rock
Yosemite Rock
Name
Yosemite Rock
Date ofalleged discovery
1903
Notes
Approx. 83°W, 32°S (northwest of Robinson Crusoe Island), noted as "Existence doubtful" in Operational Navigation Chart of the United States Department of Defense.[clarification needed]
(unnamed bank)
(unnamed bank)
Name
(unnamed bank)
Date ofalleged discovery
Before 1901
Notes
Shown on historical charts at 30° 55' N, 177° 30' E and 42 fathoms deep. Soundings of this area in 1901 and 1902 failed to locate the bottom at 100 fathoms, and it is not seen on modern maps.
(unnamed rock)
(unnamed rock)
Name
(unnamed rock)
Date ofalleged discovery
1869
Notes
Sighted by the steamer Great Pacific at 25° 40' S, 85° 0' W. The Sumbawa passed through the area in 1904 but did not see it.
(unnamed breakers)
(unnamed breakers)
Name
(unnamed breakers)
Date ofalleged discovery
1901
Notes
Reported at 21° 55' N, 176° 05' W. There is no indication of these breakers on modern maps.
Name
Date ofalleged 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.
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 .mw- 22°38.76′N 90°51.3′W / 22.64600°N 90.8550°W / 22.64600; -90.8550 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 / 84.333°N 102.000°W / 84.333; -102.000) and (85°11′N 102°0′W / 85.183°N 102.000°W / 85.183; -102.000) 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.
Saint Brendan's Island
512
Claimed to have been first visited in 512 by the monk St. Brendan and 14 others, along with later reports up to 1772.
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.
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.
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 found, it was also believed by William Dampier to be the coast of Terra Australis Incognita.
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
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 0.6 to 0.9 metres (2 to 3 feet). Current observations show the reported location to have a depth of 5.3 kilometres (3.3 miles; 2.9 nautical miles), and the nearest shallow seamount is about 4.7 kilometres (2.9 miles; 2.5 nautical miles) deep, disproving the existence of the island.
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.
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 0.25 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.
Juan de Lisboa
17th century
Reported on maps as being southeast of Madagascar.
Jupiter Reef
1878
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
1884
Found in 1884 by Johan Otto Polter, who, in four later expeditions through 1909, disproved the island's existence.
Keenan Land
1870s
Large landmass reportedly discovered in the Arctic north of Alaska; numerous searches failed to relocate it.

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
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  5. Antarctica, p. 47, Paul Simpson-Housley, 1992.
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  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
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  9. Chasing a Dream: The Exploration of the Imaginary Pacific
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  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. SFGate
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  16. Lib.utexas.edu
    http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/onc/txu-pclmaps-oclc-8322829_r_22.jpg
  17. Pliny the Elder, Natural History; Book VI, Chapter 34
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  18. Tacitus, [[Agricola (book) |Agricola]], 10.
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  19. Pomponius Mela, De Situ Orbis, III, 57.
  20. Charles Vallancey (1772) An essay on the antiquity of the Irish language
    https://archive.org/details/anessayonantiqu00vallgoog
  21. Hõbevalge (Silverwhite)
  22. Andreas Kleineberg, Christian Marx, Eberhard Knobloch und Dieter Lelgemann: Germania und die Insel Thule. Die Entschlüss
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