Smithsonian Magazine · Geschiedenis en cultuur

Mysterious Floating Island Appears and Disappears on Canadian Lake

A large, forested island, previously unmapped, was spotted floating on British Columbia's Williston Lake in late July. Initially doubted, its existence was confirmed by satellite imagery. The island then vanished in mid-August, only to reappear days later, having drifted approximately 20 miles.

A boater on Canada's West Coast discovered a large, forested island floating in Williston Lake, a significant human-made reservoir. The island, teeming with trees, birds, and animals, was not on any maps and puzzled locals. Photos and videos of the island, posted online by a local resident, gained viral attention.

B.C. Hydro, the utility managing the reservoir, initially suspected the images were AI-generated but later confirmed the island's reality with a July 21 satellite image. The image showed a green mass about 150 yards long and 75 yards wide, roughly the size of two football fields.

The island disappeared in mid-August but was found again on August 31, floating nearly 20 miles northwest of its original location. B.C. Hydro announced its reappearance, noting it had traveled about 30 km in 15 days.

One theory suggests the island formed from accumulated logs and woody debris along the shoreline over many years, with plants and trees taking root as the material decomposed. The reservoir's current high water levels, attributed to heavy snowpack and rain, may have lifted this mass into open water.

However, some experts, like geologist John Joseph Clague, are skeptical, questioning how such a large, forested mat could form from erosion and collapsing trees. He remains perplexed by the phenomenon.

Marine ecologist Rebecca Helm compares it to similar floating islands found elsewhere, noting they were more common before extensive logging and damming. She describes the island as a "ghost" of a more frequent occurrence.

B.C. Hydro has cautioned the public to maintain distance from the island, warning that its base is likely a "delicate, thin layer of logs" and is naturally unstable, making it unsafe to climb on or land a boat.

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