Last month, marine biologists discovered that Sandy Island, an island presumed to lie off the eastern coast of Australia in the Coral Sea, doesn't exist and never has, despite appearing on Google Maps up until recently (see above). Frank Jacobs explains why phantom islands still pepper our cartography:
The Coral Sea in particular is rich in treacherous reefs that lurk just beneath, or barely
above the ocean’s surface. … In such a tricky environment, it’s understandable that the precautionary principle is maximally applied. This explains why a cluster of potential dangers to shipping to the east of New Zealand, consisting of Wachusett Reef, Ernest Legouvé Rock, the Jupiter Breakers, and Maria Theresia Reef, is still a fixture on most nautical maps, even though they appear not to exist. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Until an obstacle’s existence is positively disproved, it stays on the map.
The Dish 