‘Unbelievable’: how a tiny island in Canada appeared, vanished, and reappeared miles away
The 500ft-long, heavily forested land mass surprises locals by popping up on Williston Lake in British Columbia
TL;DR
- A mysterious, heavily forested island, approximately 150 metres long and 75 metres wide, appeared on Williston Lake.
- The island was not on any maps or navigation charts and surprised local residents and experts.
- It disappeared within a day and later reappeared nearly 20 miles from its original location.
- BC Hydro, the utility operating the reservoir, believes the island is composed of trees and plants growing on woody debris along the shoreline.
- Similar floating islands have been observed globally, such as the Forty Acre Bog in Wisconsin.
- The British Columbia island supports wildlife and is characterized by coniferous and broadleaf trees.
- High water levels in the reservoir, due to snowpack and rainfall, may have contributed to the island being dislodged and moving into open water.
- The island may have drifted to shore and returned to a sheltered area, explaining its apparent disappearance.
- Experts caution boaters, describing the island as very unsafe and unstable due to a 'delicate, thin layer of logs'.
- Social media reactions included humorous comparisons to political events, such as renaming of Lake Ontario.