Fun Fact Friday – The Mystery of the Disappearing Island
Welcome to another edition of Fun Fact Friday! Today, we’re diving into a fascinating historical and geographical mystery that has puzzled explorers and scholars for centuries—the curious case of the disappearing island known as Sandy Island. The Strange Case of Sandy Island Sandy Island was a supposed landmass that appeared on maps and nautical charts for over a century. It was first recorded by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1774, during one of his famous voyages through the South Pacific Ocean. Located off the coast of New Caledonia, Sandy Island was marked as a small, elongated piece of land that many believed to exist. However, there was one big problem—no one could actually find it. The Phantom Island For years, ships sailed through the area where Sandy Island was supposed to be, but no land was ever seen. Despite this, the island continued to appear on maps, including Google Earth, well into the 21st century. It wasn’t until 2012 that a group of Australian scientist...