How a Phantom Island Appeared, Vanished, Then Reappeared in Different Location
BC Hydro says the island likely formed from driftwood and plants, and it traveled about 30 km before settling along the shoreline.
- On Monday, BC Hydro confirmed the floating, tree-covered island on Williston Reservoir had been located against the Ospika Arm shoreline after drifting approximately 30 km over 15 days.
- BC Hydro Community Relations Manager Bob Gammer attributed the island's emergence to record-high water levels—the highest in 14 years—which lifted accumulated logs and decaying woody debris from the shoreline.
- Satellite imagery from July 21 confirmed the landmass was real, as Gammer initially suspected the viral footage was AI-generated before verification through additional observations.
- BC Hydro describes the island as "unstable" and "unsafe," cautioning boaters to maintain distance to avoid injury or vessel damage while the utility continues monitoring the debris.
- Floating islands like Wisconsin's "Forty Acre Bog" occur globally in dammed lakes, with researchers noting that woody debris and vegetation form stable, moving mats in large reservoirs like Williston.
115 Articles
115 Articles
A massive 12,000 square meter floating island has appeared in Lake Williston in Canada. The unmapped island, which is home to nearly 100 trees, drifted 30 kilometers with the current before disappearing and reappearing at a different location.
Times of India
Daily News UpdateA huge forested island appeared in a British Columbia reservoir, vanished, then resurfaced 30 km away 15 days later with trees, birds and other animals still aboard
Science News: In the summer of 2026, workers and residents around the Williston Reservoir in northern British Columbia witnessed something that sounded like folklor.
In British Columbia's largest reservoir, a boater films an island that has not been discovered yet. But as suddenly as it had appeared, it disappears again – to appear somewhere else shortly afterwards. What's going on in Canada?
Mysterious island appears and disappears in the lake in Canada Rocky Avery/Facebook On Lake Williston, in northern British Columbia, in Canada, it emerged, disappeared and then a huge floating formation reappeared that, for weeks, left the residents intrigued, aroused the interest of several experts and ended up turning into a small natural mystery. zzle the g1 on Google and accompany the main news of the day It is a floating island covered by d…
A Lake in Canada Got a Mysterious New Island. Then, It Disappeared—and Now It's Back
The floating forest appeared in a well-mapped reservoir in British Columbia. Its presence and vanishing act have puzzled locals and officials at the power utility that operates the lake, but other similar islands exist elsewhere
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