Canada's Mysterious Floating Island Turns Out to Be Real, and Moving

A suddenly appearing and then vanishing island in British Columbia has left Canadians stumped. What is the story behind this mysterious island floating in a remote part of Canada? Read on for the fascinating details.

Boaters Discover Small and Lush Island in British Columbia

Boaters on Williston Reservoir in British Columbia, Canada, observed a mysterious small island in late July, setting off a quest to discover the origins of this piece of land. Power company BC Hydro began fielding photos and videos of the lush forested island on August 13. The company was originally skeptical of the images of the island that seemingly came out of nowhere.

According to BC Hydro Community Relations Manager Bob Gammer, officials were not convinced that the photos and video were not the product of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As Gammer noted, “In the age of AI, it’s important to verify unusual reports before drawing conclusions.”

Officials used a collection of satellite imagery and footage from aircraft and boaters to confirm that the island was not a mirage. On September 2, BC Hydro confirmed that the island had been found nestled against the shoreline along Williston Reservoir's Ospika Arm. This resting place was roughly 19 miles northwest of where it was first observed at the end of July.  As such, BC Hydro believes that the tiny piece of land drifted for almost 20 miles over 15 days before coming to a stop.

What Scientists Know About the Island

Experts believe that the island is a floating collection of logs and other artifacts from the forest that have built up over years. As the woody debris decomposed, trees and other types of vegetation likely took root and created the current landscape.

Scientists are still trying to determine when and how the island became what it is today. It is being hypothesized that high water levels worked to move it from the shoreline so that the winds could push it across the water.

The island is approximately 460 feet long and 230 feet wide, covering an area of about two football fields. The densely forested island is now anchored in what is the seventh-largest reservoir in the world when measured by volume and the largest in British Columbia. Covering an area of about 685 miles when full, it is easy to see how the island could have gone undetected for so long in Williston Reservoir.

Gammer said that the discovery of the island has raised even more questions. “While we’re pleased to have confirmed the island’s location, there is still more to learn about how it formed and how it came to drift across the reservoir" he said. A group of ecologists and other scientists are now researching the island's potential origins and its movement.

BC Hydro is warning people not to step onto the island. The decaying nature of the logs and debris could be unstable and unsafe. Instead, onlookers should sail by the island or use drones to take pictures.

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