Sandy Island, New Caledonia

Not to be confused with Great Sandy Island (Western Australia).

Sandy Island
Île de Sable
Landsat satellite image showing the island's supposed location.
Sandy Island is located in Pacific Ocean
Sandy Island
Sandy Island
Geography
Coordinates19°13′S 159°56′E / 19.22°S 159.93°E / -19.22; 159.93

Sandy Island (sometimes labelled in French Île de Sable, and in Spanish Isla Arenosa) is a phantom island that was charted for over a century as being located near the French territory of New Caledonia between the Chesterfield Islands and Nereus Reef in the eastern Coral Sea.[1] The island was included on many maps and nautical charts from as early as the late 19th century. It was removed from French hydrographic charts in 1974. The island gained wide media and public attention in November 2012 when the R/V Southern Surveyor, an Australian research ship,[2] passed through the area and "undiscovered" it. The island was quickly removed from many maps and data sets, including those of the National Geographic Society and Google Maps.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference bbc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Southern Surveyor 2003-13 | Australia's Marine National Facility". www.mnf.csiro.au. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference shom removal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).