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Sandy Island, the Undiscovered Country

Big Hairy Ian writes "A South Pacific island, shown on marine charts and world maps as well as on Google Earth and Google Maps, does not exist, Australian scientists say. The supposedly sizeable strip of land, named Sandy Island on Google maps, was positioned midway between Australia and French-governed New Caledonia. But when scientists from the University of Sydney went to the area, they found only the blue ocean of the Coral Sea."

11 of 182 comments (clear)

  1. Kate... by Drophet · · Score: 5, Funny

    We have to go back!

    1. Re:Kate... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      No!

      That's not true!

      That's impossible!

    2. Re:Kate... by davester666 · · Score: 5, Funny

      That it ended wasn't enough of a satisfactory conclusion?

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
  2. Good. Gooooood.... by asdf7890 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Excellent, my evil island cloaking device is functioning perfectly. They'll never know my nefarious plans until they are too late to do anything about them!

  3. Some folks will believe anything... by Third+Position · · Score: 5, Funny

    But when scientists from the University of Sydney went to the area, they found only the blue ocean of the Coral Sea.

    April Fools!

    --
    American Third Position
    Finally, a real choice!
  4. That's exactly how I felt by joeflies · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... The last time I visited Alderaan

  5. R'lyeh by plopez · · Score: 5, Funny

    ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  6. Dolphin lure by Jaza · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is just a marketing stunt by the area's resident Dolphin community. They want to lure tourists to this patch of the sea, so they can do some backflips in return for loose change and hearty gifts of plankton.

  7. Re:Funny! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The funny thing is Google seems to have doctored the satellite photos to put a dark blob where this fictitious island is supposed to be.

    I doesn't show up on my new iOS 6 Maps app ... and here I thought this missing island was Apple's fault.

  8. Re:Funny! by Albanach · · Score: 5, Funny

    If Google doesn't correct this within a few days, I'll be surprised.

    I'll be surprised if Google doesn't announce their street view cams have been adapted and installed on board ships. That island is out there somewhere, and I trust Google to find it.

  9. Re:Funny! by sjames · · Score: 5, Funny

    It is, a bunch of Apple fanatics with shovels actually removed the island rather than admit Apple was wrong.