Buzz
Several islands have been 'discovered' and charted on maps, only to later be proven nonexistent. Despite this, their discoverers often insisted they had seen or even set foot on these lands. Expeditions to their alleged locations frequently found nothing but open water, though some still claimed to have located them.
We’ve compiled a list of ten such islands. This collection excludes those intentionally added to maps as copyright traps, akin to trap streets. Each island was reportedly sighted, even if some were fabricated, and all appeared on official maps at some point.
10. Sandy Island
Sandy Island was confirmed to be nonexistent in 2012. Prior to this, it was featured on numerous maps, including Google Earth, situated between Australia and New Caledonia, a French territory in the Pacific. The island was initially documented by the British whaling vessel Velocity in 1876 and first appeared on a British map in 1908.
Multiple expeditions failed to locate the island, leading to its removal from some maps in the 1970s. However, it persisted on others. Interestingly, French maps never included the island, suggesting France either knew it didn’t exist or was unaware of its alleged presence. If real, the island would have fallen under French jurisdiction, as it was in French waters.
Scientists from the University of Sydney confirmed the island’s nonexistence after discovering that its supposed location was 1,400 meters (4,600 ft) deep. They concluded that the Velocity crew likely mistook a pumice raft for an island. Pumice rafts, formed by volcanic activity, are known to drift through the area where Sandy Island was thought to be.
9. Saint Brendan’s Island
If ancient maps are to be believed, Saint Brendan’s Island (or Isle) should be located west of the Canary Islands and south of the Azores in the North Atlantic. Named after Saint Brendan, an Irish monk who allegedly discovered it in AD 512, the island was not just sighted by him. Saint Brendan and 14 monks reportedly landed on it and stayed there for two weeks.
A monk named Barino described the island as lush with mountains, forests, birds, and flowers. Despite numerous expeditions, the island remained elusive, and by the 13th century, its nonexistence became clear. Spanish historian Marcus Martinez referred to it as 'the lost island discovered by St. Brendan, but no one has found it since.'
In the 1400s, a sailor claimed to have spotted the island but couldn’t land due to severe weather. This reignited interest, prompting the king of Portugal to send ships, which never returned. Saint Brendan’s Island continued to appear on maps, and searches persisted until the 18th century, when consensus finally settled on its nonexistence.
According to the Journal of the Bizarre, Saint Brendan’s Island did exist but has since been submerged beneath the ocean. This claim holds some credibility, as an underwater mountain known as the Great Meteor Seamount lies in the area where the island was believed to be.
8. Hy-Brasil
Hy-Brasil is a mythical island reportedly located around 320 kilometers (200 mi) west of Ireland. Some maps depicted it as two separate islands sharing the same name. First appearing on maps in 1325, it continued to be featured until the 1800s, when its existence was debunked as a hoax. The island is also steeped in legends and folklore.
Europeans believed it housed an advanced society, while Irish tales claimed it was shrouded in dense fog, visible only once every seven years. The island’s name, shape, and location varied across maps, though it was consistently placed in the same general area. England launched three expeditions between 1480 and 1481, all of which failed to locate it. However, a Spanish diplomat claimed in 1497 that one of these expeditions had indeed found Hy-Brasil.
In 1674, Scottish sea captain John Nisbet claimed to have seen the island while sailing from France to Ireland. He reported that four of his crew members landed on it and spent an entire day there. Nisbet’s account is questionable, as he also described encountering an elderly man who gifted them gold and silver, as well as a magician residing in a castle.
Captain Alexander Johnson later led another expedition and also claimed to have reached the island, though he made no mention of receiving gold. In 1872, Robert O’Flaherty and T.J. Westropp reported sightings of Hy-Brasil. Westropp even asserted that he visited the island three times, once bringing his family, and witnessed it appearing and vanishing before their eyes.
7. Frisland
In 1558, Venetian Nicolo Zeno asserted that his ancestors, Antonio and Nicolo, had discovered an island named Frisland in the 1380s. Zeno described it as lying south of Iceland, with Norway to the east and Estotiland to the west. Estotiland is thought to correspond to modern-day Newfoundland or Labrador in North America. If true, this would mean Zeno’s ancestors reached America before Columbus.
Many believe Zeno fabricated Frisland’s existence to gain fame. The Venetians eagerly accepted his claims, as they were eager to maintain their navy’s relevance amid the growing dominance of Spanish, French, and English naval powers.
Frisland appeared on numerous maps until it was debunked as a hoax in the 19th century. However, several sailors claimed to have seen it. In 1576, English explorer Martin Frobisher mistook Greenland for Frisland, and John Dee declared it English territory in 1580. In 1989, philologist Giorgio Padoan argued that Zeno’s account was true, suggesting Italians reached the New World before Columbus.
6. Buss Island
Buss Island is a phantom island believed to lie between Ireland and the mythical Frisland. It was supposedly discovered by Martin Frobisher, who, as previously noted, confused Greenland with Frisland. In 1578, he likely misidentified another landmass as an undiscovered island, naming it Buss Island.
Captain Thomas Shepard claimed to have visited and charted Buss Island in 1671, prompting England to launch an expedition. The search proved unsuccessful. Despite numerous attempts to locate the fabled island, none succeeded, though ships not actively searching for it often reported sightings.
In 1776, reports suggested the area where Buss Island was thought to be had become shallow, leading some to believe it had sunk. It was even renamed the Sunken Land of Buss. However, an expedition led by John Ross in 1818 revealed the area was not shallow. Buss Island remained on maps until it was finally removed in the 19th century.
5. Crocker Land
Similar to Frisland, Crocker Land was entirely fabricated. This time, it was Robert Peary who concocted the story to secure funding for an Arctic expedition. In 1907, Peary claimed to have discovered a new island near Greenland, approximately 209 kilometers (130 mi) northwest of Cape Thomas Hubbard in Northern Canada, during a 1906 expedition.
He named the island Crocker Land after George Crocker, a co-sponsor of his 1906 expedition who contributed $50,000. Peary aimed to secure another $50,000 from Crocker, which was the purpose of the fabricated island. Peary even authored a book titled Nearest the Pole, where he detailed his imaginary discovery. Many believed him, and several explorers embarked on quests to find the island.
Crocker Land remained undiscovered, earning it the nickname “the Lost Atlantis of the North.” Despite this, it appeared on Arctic maps between 1910 and 1913. This supposed new land, sometimes referred to as a continent, sparked significant interest, particularly in the United States, until Peary’s deception was revealed.
4. Dougherty Island
Also referred to as Dougherty’s Island, this landmass is entirely fictional. Named after Captain Daniel Dougherty, who claimed to have discovered it in the far southern Pacific Ocean during a voyage from New Zealand to Canada in 1841, its existence was corroborated by several sailors. However, Captain Scott failed to locate it when he sailed past its alleged position in 1904.
On August 11, 1931, The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia reported that a joint British, Australian, and New Zealand expedition en route to Antarctica passed the island’s supposed location but found nothing.
The ship’s commanding officer, Captain Mackenzie, documented the event, noting that the vessel sailed directly over the island’s reported coordinates. The weather was clear, and no land was visible within a 19-kilometer (12 mi) radius, ruling out the possibility of misplacement. Dougherty Island was officially removed from British maps in 1937.
3. Saxemberg Island
Saxemberg Island was reportedly discovered by John Lindesz Lindeman in 1670. Lindeman described it as a flat island in the Southern Atlantic with a prominent central mountain. Despite multiple expeditions claiming to have sighted it, Australian navigator Mathew Flinders conducted a thorough search in 1801 and found no trace of the island.
In 1804, Captain Galloway asserted he had seen the island, including its central mountain, and Captain Head supported this claim in 1816. Other sailors also reported sightings, with some even claiming to have set foot on the island.
In 1816, Major General Alexander Beatson provided a detailed account of the island’s flora. He theorized that Saxemberg Island, along with the real islands of Ascension, Tristan da Cunha, and Gough, originated from the same continental landmass. Despite these claims, Saxemberg Island was eventually deemed nonexistent and removed from maps in the 19th century.
2. Isle Of Demons
In 1542, Jean-Francois de Roberval, the lieutenant-general of New France (modern-day Canada), set sail from France with three ships. Among his passengers was his cousin, Marguerite de la Rocque, whom he marooned along with her lover and maid on the Isle of Demons, believed to be located on what is now Quirpon Island in Newfoundland. Legends described the Isle of Demons as a place teeming with demons and wild beasts that attacked anyone who ventured ashore.
The reason for Roberval’s decision to abandon his cousin remains unclear. Some speculate he disapproved of her relationship with her lover, while others suggest he sought to seize her property. Another account claims Roberval marooned only the lover, and Marguerite chose to join him, though a different version states Marguerite was the one abandoned, and her lover followed. The maid’s presence was not by choice.
The maid and Marguerite’s lover perished on the island, but Marguerite survived and even birthed a child, who later died. She remained alone until rescued by fishermen in 1544. The truth of this tale is questionable, as the Isle of Demons was removed from maps by the mid-17th century after being deemed nonexistent.
1. Emerald Island
In 1821, Captain Nockells reported sighting an island south of Macquarie Island, near Antarctica, naming it after his ship, the Emerald. Emerald Island was said to have a mysterious nature, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. Some expeditions claimed to have seen it, while others found nothing. Some speculated it moved, explaining its elusiveness, while others believed it once existed but sank due to seismic activity.
Descriptions of the island varied widely among those who claimed to have seen it. Some described it as mountainous with steep cliffs, while others said it was hilly and covered in green forests. In 1890, a captain reported it as a small, rocky landmass with no safe landing spots.
In 1840, Commodore Wilks of the United States sailed two ships over the island’s supposed location and found nothing. Similarly, Captain Soule reported no sightings in 1877. Explorers Shackleton and Amundsen also passed the area in 1909 and 1910, respectively, with no success in locating the island.
Two notable incidents occurred near the island’s alleged location in 1894 and 1949. In 1894, a Norwegian expedition to the South Pole mistook an iceberg for the island. In April 1949, the HMNZS Pukaki of the Royal New Zealand Navy initially thought they had found the island, only to realize it was a cluster of clouds hovering above the water.
