The mystery of Lancaster Island

later12 · 01-01-2012 7:28pm #1

A few years back I was doing one of those "spin the globe and go there" things on an old globe at home.

My index finger landed on Lancaster Island, a tiny island in the Pacific, south of French Polynesia. I committed to go there. It's always been in the back of my mind, and over Christmas I took another look at Lancaster Island on the globe, and decided to do something about it.

So I went to google maps and looked up Lancaster Island.
-Nothing.

I pulled a new atlas down off a shelf and looked up 'Lancaster Island'.
-Nothing.

I googled "Lancaster Island"
-Nothing of relevance.

Has Lancaster Island disappeared?

It's like some cruel trick of fate.

cassid · 01-01-2012 7:32pm

maybe it's gone the same way as Atlantis?

dvpower · 01-01-2012 7:35pm

later10 wrote: »

Has Lancaster Island disappeared?

Found it for you - someone misplaced it.
http://wikimapia.org/1393611/Lancaster-Island

Praetorian Saighdiuir · 01-01-2012 7:35pm

Its Area 52 now

amacca · 01-01-2012 7:37pm

can you get that old globe you originally found it on back

then use a location or an approx latitude and longitude to see if it was just left out of newer editions or renamed/reclaimed or something

OR

what if you've discovered the secret island lair of a new overarching shadowy criminal organization and they are right now tracing your location and all those you have brought this matter to the attention of? :eek:

later12 · 01-01-2012 7:46pm

amacca wrote: »

can you get that old globe you originally found it on back

then use a location or an approx latitude and longitude to see if it was just left out of newer editions or renamed/reclaimed or something

Yes I should have mentioned I tried this when I was home over Christmas.

I looked up the co-ordinates on google earth; nothing at all. This suggests that Lancaster Island hasn't simply been renamed as something else.

But it's there on the globe alright, south of French Polynesia. It must be (or have been) reasonably big to be marked & named on a globe.

Islands that size couldn't just fall into the sea, could they?

oppenheimer1 · 01-01-2012 7:48pm

later10 wrote: »

Yes I should have mentioned I tried this when I was home over Christmas.

I looked up the co-ordinates on google earth; nothing at all. This suggests that Lancaster Island hasn't simply been renamed as something else.

But it's there on the globe alright, south of French Polynesia. It must be (or have been) reasonably big to be marked & named on a globe.

Islands that size couldn't just fall into the sea, could they?

Sometimes mapmakers put false information into maps to ensure that if they are copied and copyright breached they can be identified.

You might have stumbled onto one of these

Biggins · 01-01-2012 7:52pm

later10 wrote: »

A few years back I was doing one of those "spin the globe and go there" things on an old globe at home.

My index finger landed on Lancaster Island, a tiny island in the Pacific, south of French Polynesia. I committed to go there. It's always been in the back of my mind, and over Christmas I took another look at Lancaster Island on the globe, and decided to do something about it.

So I went to google maps and looked up Lancaster Island.
-Nothing.

I pulled a new atlas down off a shelf and looked up 'Lancaster Island'.
-Nothing.

I googled "Lancaster Island"
-Nothing of relevance.

Has Lancaster Island disappeared?

It's like some cruel trick of fate.

It was really the island in "Lost".
It time and place shifted! :pac:

El Weirdo · 01-01-2012 7:56pm

Were you high?

amacca · 01-01-2012 7:58pm

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Sometimes mapmakers put false information into maps to ensure that if they are copied and copyright breached they can be identified.

You might have stumbled onto one of these

I didn't know that....slightly disquieting for my upcoming round the world sailing trip with the woman of my dreams.

yes honey.....its just due east of here.....a nice big island where we can drop anchor and seek refuge from the worst of that fast approaching tropical storm

amacca · 01-01-2012 8:00pm

later10 wrote: »

Yes I should have mentioned I tried this when I was home over Christmas.

I looked up the co-ordinates on google earth; nothing at all. This suggests that Lancaster Island hasn't simply been renamed as something else.

But it's there on the globe alright, south of French Polynesia. It must be (or have been) reasonably big to be marked & named on a globe.

Islands that size couldn't just fall into the sea, could they?

Is google earth an authoritative source...can it be trusted to be 100% accurate? (genuine question - I would assume it is myself as its compiled from satellite imagery??)

later12 · 01-01-2012 8:08pm

amacca wrote: »

Is google earth an authoritative source...can it be trusted to be 100% accurate? (genuine question - I would assume it is myself as its compiled from satellite imagery??)

I think so; as you said, it's based on satellite images. It should be more authoritative than an old globe.

El Weirdo wrote: »

Were you high?

Hmmm; I had eaten half my bodyweight in turkey at the time... but no I've been thinking about this Lancaster Island spot for years.

When I meditate in my head, that's the desert island I go to.

Now it seems to be no more:(:(:(:(:(:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Chuck Stone · 01-01-2012 8:16pm

The Mystery of Lancaster Island.

It sounds like an Enid Blyton novel involving smugglers being apprehended by smart upper-middle class English children who have a cook working in their houses.

later12 · 01-01-2012 8:20pm

I always fancied the lesbian tomboy.

o1s1n · 01-01-2012 8:23pm

Lancaster Globes?

http://www.amazon.com/Replogle-Globes-Lancaster-12-Inch-Metallic/dp/B0002S7RNI

Jess16 · 01-01-2012 8:28pm

I hope I'm not the only one to have googled Lancaster Island as a result of reading this

Wurly · 01-01-2012 8:32pm

I can find it fine on google earth. It's beside another island called Potato Island, if you can find that? There doesn't seem to be a lot on it. Rough co-ordinates from google earth - 44 degrees, 20 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west.

My name is URL · 01-01-2012 8:33pm

There's an area named Neilson (formerly 'Lancaster') Reef just north of the island of Rapa in French Polynesia.

cassid · 01-01-2012 11:27pm

Wurly wrote: »

I can find it fine on google earth. It's beside another island called Potato Island, if you can find that? There doesn't seem to be a lot on it. Rough co-ordinates from google earth - 44 degrees, 20 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west.

I saw this earlier and was just thought Potato Island is a really desperately sad name for an island. If someone told me they were from Potato Island , I would think they were taking the p*ss.

WesternZulu · 01-01-2012 11:57pm

I think that Ireland should lay claim to this Potato island

BrokenArrows · 02-01-2012 12:00am

Dam some of those islands in the pacific are tiny. Imagine being on one of those during a massive storm.

up for anything · 02-01-2012 12:04am

Wurly wrote: »

I can find it fine on google earth. It's beside another island called Potato Island, if you can find that? There doesn't seem to be a lot on it. Rough co-ordinates from google earth - 44 degrees, 20 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west.

They're in the St Lawrence River which is nowhere near French Polynesia unless your a crow.

old_aussie · 02-01-2012 12:07am

Lancaster Island, aka Gilligan's Island.

Let me know if you see Gilligan and the Captain or any of the passengers.

Thurston Howell, lll, will pay a large reward to be rescued.

ColeTrain · 02-01-2012 12:23am

Just as well, bet the place is a shi!thole.

imitation · 02-01-2012 12:25am

Its right above potato island ! While your there see if you can find a new breed of potato to bring back. Maybe it will reverse our fortunes just like they did all those years ago... oh wait

My name is URL · 02-01-2012 12:40am

cassid wrote: »

I saw this earlier and was just thought Potato Island is a really desperately sad name for an island. If someone told me they were from Potato Island , I would think they were taking the p*ss.

Yeah, it should be relegated to this league

It doesn't have a patch on New Ireland

Jen Pigs Fly · 02-01-2012 1:21am

There you go
http://wikimapia.org/1393611/Lancaster-Island

later12 · 02-01-2012 2:13pm

Guys - a few people have mentioned Lancaster Island in Canada.

It's not the island in Canada. This particular Lancaster Island is related to the Austral Islands in the South Pacific, just south of French Polynesia.

Because I have too much time on my hands, I've just looked it up on another map, this time a French map that was printed in 2011 - Lancaster Island appears on it as per the photograph below.

http://i40.tinypic.com/m8icz6.jpg

However, here is the image of the Austral islands from wikipedia. Lancaster Island is not on it, and has been mentioned nowhere on the internet that i have seen. Compare my picture of the 2011 map with this photo:

http://i40.tinypic.com/xn7sxs.png

It's also very hard to see anything resembling Lancaster Island on google earth.

I know there is a rational explanation, I'm just curious as to what it is.

pickarooney · 02-01-2012 2:17pm

Did you mean Norfolk Island?

Part of the Norfolk & Weighmate archipelago near French Caledonia.

I think My Name is URL is right and it's just a coral reef. You can see the same thing here as Récif Lancaster (Neilson Reef):
http://books.google.ie/books?id=cFawvYZlKHoC&pg=PA420&lpg=PA420&dq=recif+lancaster&source=bl&ots=u1U2Lbqou7&sig=a6OR2IGlFsRawzL3STeXSu4oHj0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Jr0BT9OsKdH5sgadiq3LDw&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=recif%20lancaster&f=false

Doesn't sound like much fun to be honest:
http://www.anchorageworld.com/content/neilson-reef

later12 · 02-01-2012 3:17pm

pickarooney wrote: »

Did you mean Norfolk Island?

Part of the Norfolk & Weighmate archipelago near French Caledonia.

No; it's definitely not part of New Caledonia. It's associated with the Austral Islands south of French Polynesia.

You can see the same thing here as Récif Lancaster (Neilson Reef):

That looks like it may be the correct location alright; My globe and the wall map I used (see previous post) indicated that there was an island as well as a reef, but I'm guessing the island has since gone under then, since the satellite image indicates only a reef.

Oh well, have to spin the globe again maybe.

Next time I'll probably get Lancaster UK. :mad:

RonMexico · 02-01-2012 3:32pm

As far as I know the island owned by Johnny Depp in the caribbean isn't on google earth either.

Chuck Stone · 02-01-2012 3:59pm

I have a totally ungoogled theory.

Perhaps the criteria for being an Island changed? You know, you might have reefs jutting out with a bit of scrub on them that don't fulfill the criteria to be considered an island.

Still seems odd though because someone went to the trouble of giving it a name.

I say we send out a delegate and capture this island as the property of boards.ie.

FootShooter · 02-01-2012 4:02pm

Here it is:

http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/SSEOP/sseop.pl?outputoption=RECORDS&feature=NEILSON%20REEF&featuretype=LITERAL&missionoption=X&sort=pdate%20DESC,mission,roll,frame%20ASC&showpdatecb=on&showgeoncb=on&showfeatcb=on&showlatcb=on&showloncb=on&collection=

http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/QuickView.pl?directory=ISD&ID=STS067-730A-22

http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/QuickView.pl?directory=ISD&ID=STS067-730A-21

Seems like it has just sunk into the ocean, or that the ocean or seabed has risen. A bit disappointed now, I was hoping you had discovered a secret island that had been covered up for some reason.

Einhard · 02-01-2012 4:04pm

later10 wrote: »

No; it's definitely not part of New Caledonia. It's associated with the Austral Islands south of French Polynesia.

That looks like it may be the correct location alright; My globe and the wall map I used (see previous post) indicated that there was an island as well as a reef, but I'm guessing the island has since gone under then, since the satellite image indicates only a reef.

Oh well, have to spin the globe again maybe.

Next time I'll probably get Lancaster UK. :mad:

Maybe it's it's like Pluto and has been downgraded from its island status? There's probably some alien out there somewhere posting on some inter-galactic forum about how he's always wanted to visit this remote planet called Pluto ever since he first spied it on his galaxy chart, but now when he looks for it, it's disappeared!

If you can't find it, there are loads more out there. My own remote island of choice is Tristan da Cunha. It's the most remote inhabited archipelago on the planet. But you keep away from it. I don't want it disappearing under the waves before I get a chance to check it out myself!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_da_Cunha

Frank Black · 02-01-2012 4:05pm

When you're from Offaly, Potato Island sounds impossibly glamorous.

Hobbes · 02-01-2012 4:13pm

o1s1n wrote: »

Lancaster Globes?

http://www.amazon.com/Replogle-Globes-Lancaster-12-Inch-Metallic/dp/B0002S7RNI

That could be, but it does not have the common known island of "Made in China".

dxhound2005 · 02-01-2012 4:17pm

Einhard wrote: »

Maybe it's it's like Pluto and has been downgraded from its island status? There's probably some alien out there somewhere posting on some inter-galactic forum about how he's always wanted to visit this remote planet called Pluto ever since he first spied it on his galaxy chart, but now when he looks for it, it's disappeared!

If you can't find it, there are loads more out there. My own remote island of choice is Tristan da Cunha. It's the most remote inhabited archipelago on the planet. But you keep away from it. I don't want it disappearing under the waves before I get a chance to check it out myself!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_da_Cunha

A nice place to go would be the Spratly Islands. Just watch out for the gunboats from China, Vietnam and the Phillipines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spratly_Islands_dispute

M.T. Cranium · 18-03-2023 9:29am

You can see where it is on google earth, located at 27 deg 1 min S and 146 deg 2 min west. It is all under the waves now, but some parts give a return of just -1 or -2 ft. It was a coral atoll with a nearly fully enclosed lagoon that is shown as being 35 feet deep. The wikipedia entry for Bass Islands (a part of the Austral Islands that includes inhabited Rapa Iti) mentions Lancaster Reef and gives its co-ordinates but says incorrectly that it is north-northwest of Rapa Iti. I would say west-northwest is more accurate. I would think it's a combination of rising sea levels and maybe subsiding terrain, the area has an underwater volcano whose peak is not far below the surface either (-40 ft). This atoll must be a hazard to shipping being just a foot or two below the ocean.

Fr Tod Umptious · 18-03-2023 11:49am

Oh God.

I was half way through this thread when I realized it was over a decade old.

Princess Calla · 18-03-2023 12:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372366#Comment_120372366

And resurrected by one of the most respected posters!

Did someone have a good paddy's day 😂🤣😂

Hippodrome Song Owl · 18-03-2023 1:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372413#Comment_120372413

There was a post yesterday before MTC's, which explained where the "island" is. It was from a first-time poster. It had some interesting information, but for whatever reason, was deleted.