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Wednesday, September 2, 2026 · UTC
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Mysterious Floating Island Reappears in Northern British Columbia

Boaters in northern British Columbia are warned to avoid a floating island that drifted 30 kilometers on Williston Lake.

TruthFoundry News Desk
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Boaters in northern British Columbia are being warned to stay away from a mysterious floating island that has reappeared on Williston Lake after drifting about 30 kilometres in two weeks. [1] Rocky Avery, a resident of British Columbia, spotted a large mass of green vegetation floating freely on Williston Lake while boating. [2] Satellite imagery from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellite confirmed that the floating mass is a real object located in Williston Lake. [3] Local resident Rocky Avery posted videos on social media showing a large floating island covered in trees and vegetation moving across Lake Wabamun in British Columbia, Canada. [4] A mysterious forested island approximately one hectare in size appeared in the Williston Reservoir in British Columbia, Canada, and was later confirmed to have moved and disappeared. [5] BC Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said he initially thought reports of the island covered in trees and foliage on Williston Lake were a hoax, but satellite images confirmed its existence in mid-August. [6] Gammer said the island appears to be intact, is about 140 meters long and about 70 meters wide, and is naturally unstable, making it unsafe to climb onto or land a boat on. [7] The floating island, measuring about one hectare, disappeared and was then spotted again on Monday after travelling about 30 kilometres northwest on the reservoir. [8] Barry officials noted that Williston Lake has reached full capacity for the first time in 14 years, and rising water levels likely tore a section of the vegetated shore loose. [9] Experts describe the floating object as a giant raft of vegetation with interlocked roots rather than a traditional island. [10] BC Hydro officials stated that record-high water levels, the first in 14 years, likely caused the island to form by freeing debris that was previously stuck along the shoreline. [11] Satellite images from the Sentinel-2 system, operated by the European Space Agency, captured the green surface approximately 100 kilometers west of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam on July 21, 2026. [12]
What this stands on
  1. Boaters in northern British Columbia are being warned to stay away from a mysterious floating island that has reappeared on Williston Lake after drifting about 30 kilometres in two weeks. · Winnipeg Free Press
  2. Rocky Avery, a resident of British Columbia, spotted a large mass of green vegetation floating freely on Williston Lake while boating. · Ekonomim
  3. Satellite imagery from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellite confirmed that the floating mass is a real object located in Williston Lake. · Ekonomim
  4. Local resident Rocky Avery posted videos on social media showing a large floating island covered in trees and vegetation moving across Lake Wabamun in British Columbia, Canada. · Nezavisne novine
  5. A mysterious forested island approximately one hectare in size appeared in the Williston Reservoir in British Columbia, Canada, and was later confirmed to have moved and disappeared. · DER STANDARD
  6. BC Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said he initially thought reports of the island covered in trees and foliage on Williston Lake were a hoax, but satellite images confirmed its existence in mid-August. · Winnipeg Free Press
  7. Gammer said the island appears to be intact, is about 140 meters long and about 70 meters wide, and is naturally unstable, making it unsafe to climb onto or land a boat on. · Winnipeg Free Press
  8. The floating island, measuring about one hectare, disappeared and was then spotted again on Monday after travelling about 30 kilometres northwest on the reservoir. · Winnipeg Free Press
  9. Barry officials noted that Williston Lake has reached full capacity for the first time in 14 years, and rising water levels likely tore a section of the vegetated shore loose. · Ekonomim
  10. Experts describe the floating object as a giant raft of vegetation with interlocked roots rather than a traditional island. · Ekonomim
  11. BC Hydro officials stated that record-high water levels, the first in 14 years, likely caused the island to form by freeing debris that was previously stuck along the shoreline. · Nezavisne novine
  12. Satellite images from the Sentinel-2 system, operated by the European Space Agency, captured the green surface approximately 100 kilometers west of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam on July 21, 2026. · Nezavisne novine
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