A tiny, uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific has left Google Maps users scratching their heads after satellite imagery appeared to show what looks like a gigantic black hole sitting right in its center.
Keep reading to learn more.
At first glance, the image is genuinely strange.
The surrounding ocean is clearly visible, with waves appearing around the island’s shoreline, while the middle of the tiny landmass looks dramatically darker than everything around it.
Naturally, the internet did what the internet does best and started looking for explanations.
Some users wondered whether Google had deliberately censored the center of the island, while conspiracy theories ranged from secret military installations to much darker possibilities.
But the truth behind the bizarre-looking image is considerably less mysterious.
The “Black Hole” Is Actually Vostok Island
The mysterious patch of land is Vostok Island, an uninhabited island belonging to the Republic of Kiribati.
Although the satellite image makes the island look almost like an unexplained anomaly, the location is not completely untouched or unknown.
More than a decade ago, National Geographic journalists visited the remote area as part of an expedition studying its marine ecosystem.
And one diver came back from the surrounding waters absolutely stunned by what he had seen.
A Diver Called It “The Very Best Dive Of My Life”
Diver Enric Sala described the experience after exploring the waters around Vostok Island.
“Well, we just came back from a dive on Vostok Island. I just did the very best dive of my life.” According to Sala, the underwater ecosystem was packed with marine life. “There were sharks around us, schools of jacks, barracuda and surgeon fish, everything!”
He went on to describe the location as one of the most pristine places the team had encountered. “This is the most pristine place we have dived so far. We have found it, this is it. Vostok Island.”
Sala was already eager to get back into the water the following day.
So while Google Maps may make the island look like something out of a mystery movie, there is evidence that the waters around it are actually home to an extraordinarily rich marine ecosystem.
Social Media Users Still Think Google Is Hiding Something
That hasn’t stopped the theories, though.
Some social-media users remain convinced that Google intentionally obscured the middle of the island, pointing to the unusually dark shape as evidence that something is being hidden.
Others have offered a much simpler explanation.
The center of Vostok Island is covered by dense vegetation, which can appear extremely dark in satellite imagery, especially when viewed from above.
In other words, there doesn’t appear to be a giant hole swallowing the tiny Pacific island. It may just be a very densely forested island that happens to look incredibly suspicious from space.
What do you think about people’s curiosity about what lies on the island? Let us know what you think about it in the comments section on Facebook.
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