REVEALED: The SECRET island Google doesn't want you to know about

When Google Maps gets it wrong…

Feb 13, 2024

You might think of Google Maps as an all-knowing presence – plotting every nook and cranny of the globe with pixel-perfect precision.

But we recently discovered an island that is nowhere to be found on the platform. And it made us wonder…What’s the story behind this island? Why is Google hiding it? And what else might they be getting wrong?

Pirates, murder, and buried treasure – this secret island has a story that is stranger than fiction

So where is this hidden island?

It’s tucked away in the Recherche Archipelago, a smattering of 150 remote islands off the beautiful south coast of Esperance in Western Australia.

It has a dark spot in Australian history as the home of Australia’s first and only pirate, Black Jack Anderson. Two hundred years ago, the charismatic but evil American whaler robbed unsuspecting ships in the archipelago, murdered innocent Indigenous locals, and dragged women back as slaves. (Side note: his base, Middle Island, also happens to be the home of the wildly Instagrammable, bubblegum-pink Lake Hillier – no, you can’t make this stuff up).

According to archaeologists, a hidden limestone cave on the south side of Middle Island called Black Jack’s Bay is where he buried his loot.

But people wonder if there’s still treasure lurking out there on the Recherche Archipelago…

Lake Hillier

Could THIS island be where it’s buried?

Google maps doesn't show the island...?

Don’t bother looking for it on Google Maps – you won’t find it, no matter how hard you look or how many times you zoom.

So how did we manage to find it?

Our first clue was from legendary reports by old pirates who sailed those southern seas. See that dot circled in red on that ancient-looking map of Australia from 1842?

Old Historical Map of Australia from 1842

At first, we wondered if those pirates just made a plotting error after too much rum. But photos from contemporary pirates – AKA intrepid tourists – confirm that this island is a real place. Check them out.

Source images: https://youtu.be/JM7jLkzM_Dc

We did some more digging and discovered the island is now actually a protected area assigned by the Australian government, and it's named... Investigator Island.

The official Australian assignment of Nature Reserve

It’s a fitting, but coincidental, moniker. The island is actually named for the HMS Investigator, the survey ship commanded by Captain Matthew Flinders, who first chartered the area in 1802.

Source images: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Investigator_(1801)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Flinders

Next, we decided to take a look with our eye from the sky, using Soar’s access to various satellites.
It looks a bit like… Well, we have an inkling as to why this island might have been censored!

Satellite images of the island on Soar

But in all seriousness – why isn’t it appearing on Google Maps?

The actual reason comes down to a mapping error on open street maps.
Instead of a precise location that would show a high-res satellite pic of the island, Google mapped it about several kilometers away – where there’s just an empty ocean.

For us map nerds at Soar, this isn't good enough. Investigator Island now claims its rightful satellite spot on our digital atlas. We even made a 3D model using radar satellite imagery to better understand its topography and terrain. A huge thanks to our friends at Umbra Space, a leading space startup with a growing fleet of synthetic aperture radar satellites, for capturing and providing this imagery.

3D Model. Radar cloudless image. Courtesy Umbra Space

What do you think – a good spot to stow treasure?
The truth is, while Black Jack Anderson’s riches may be long gone, there’s a treasure trove of places and data buried on Google Maps today. The mapping platform might be the most popular, but it’s certainly not the most accurate. And if they got this wrong... what other mistakes have they made?

What other secret places might you discover on Soar?

Come join us on the world's fastest-growing digital atlas, and see for yourself!

This blog was written by:

Sergio Volkmer

Sérgio is a mapping and remote sensing enthusiast, producing content for Soar. He studied geology and holds a Master of Philosophy, and is now an architect and contributor to OpenStreetMap and OpenData communities. He believes that information and knowledge are first steps towards personal fulfilment that lead to a better world.

View author's Soar profile
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