Mysterious floating island bigger than football field reappears in BC lake

Boaters are being warned to stay away from a mysterious floating island that has reappeared on Williston Lake in northern British Columbia, Canada after travelling about 30 kilometres.

BC Hydro confirmed the unusual mass in August after initially suspecting reports of the tree-covered island were a hoax.

Satellite images later showed it floating in the reservoir for the W.A.C. Bennett Dam.

The island then disappeared before resurfacing Monday near where the Ospika River enters the lake and BC Hydro estimates it is about 140 metres long and 70 metres wide.

Geologist John Clague, an earth sciences professor at Simon Fraser University, said to THe Canadian Press that hhe initially dismissed reports as an “AI stunt” but is now puzzled by the island.

“This is unusual. I’ve never heard of such a thing before,” Clague said.

BC Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said the “best theory” is that rising reservoir levels lifted a mass of trees, logs and decaying vegetation from the shoreline.

However, officials say the island could be unstable and dangerous.

“It’s just naturally unstable, and so it’s unsafe to climb onto the island or land a boat on it. It would be dangerous to do that,” Gammer said.