A curious “black hole” in the ocean, which appeared as a mysterious dark spot on Google Maps, has sparked a flurry of online speculation. The site, located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, was initially thought to be something sinister, with theories ranging from secret military bases to underground volcanoes.
The anomaly was first spotted by a Reddit user who noticed the oddity while exploring Google Maps. The strange black mass, which has three sides and seems to defy explanation, is actually Vostok Island, a remote part of the Republic of Kiribati, located about 4,000 miles east of Australia.
The island, surrounded by dangerous marine life, has rarely been visited by humans. However, a diver named Enric Sala from National Geographic described an extraordinary experience diving at Vostok Island, where he encountered sharks, barracuda, and surgeonfish, calling it the “best dive” of his life.
Despite the island’s ominous appearance on Google Maps, the explanation is less mysterious than many hoped. The dark appearance is due to the island’s dense forests, composed of trees with dark green foliage that, when viewed from above, appear almost black. This natural phenomenon has led to the island being misinterpreted as a “black hole” or a censored location, fueling various conspiracy theories.
In reality, the island’s dark canopy simply gives it an eerie look from satellite images, debunking the more outlandish theories surrounding this isolated spot.
