An island in British Columbia apparently decided to go on a trip.
And this wasn't some tiny clump of grass floating across a pond.
The tree-covered mass is roughly 140 metres long and 70 metres wide — about the size of two football fields.
Then it moved about 30 kilometres.
After weeks of unusual sightings and satellite-image detective work, BC Hydro says the mystery of the wandering island on Williston Reservoir has finally been solved.
Wait… An Island Went Missing?
BC Hydro says it received reports, photos and video from local boaters on August 13 showing a large floating island on Williston Reservoir.
Satellite imagery later showed that the island had been west of Finlay Bay around July 21.
Then came the obvious question:
Where did it go?
The report was unusual enough that BC Hydro wanted to verify what people were seeing.
“In the age of AI, it's important to verify unusual reports before drawing conclusions,” BC Hydro Community Relations Manager Bob Gammer said.
Turns out, the island was real.
It just wasn't staying put.
The Island Travelled 30 Kilometres
BC Hydro eventually confirmed the island's new location after reviewing satellite imagery and other observations.
The enormous floating mass had travelled approximately 30 kilometres over 15 days, eventually coming to rest against the shoreline of the Ospika Arm.
Fortunately, it was moving away from the W.A.C. Bennett Dam.
BC Hydro says it doesn't expect the island to affect its operations.
The island also appears to have survived its unusual journey largely intact.
That's impressive for something travelling without an engine, a sail — or even solid ground.
So How Does an Island Float?
That's the part scientists still want to understand.
BC Hydro says floating vegetated islands of this size are uncommon, although they can occur in large reservoirs.
One possible explanation starts with something much less mysterious: logs and woody debris.
Over many years, debris can accumulate in sheltered areas. As organic material builds up and decomposes, vegetation can establish itself on top.
Eventually, that tangled mass can behave like a floating piece of land.
The unusual discovery has now attracted interest from geologists, ecologists and other researchers who want to better understand how these large vegetated islands form and move.
So BC Hydro has solved the mystery of where this island went.
The mystery of exactly how it became an island in the first place isn't quite finished.
Please Don't Climb Onto B.C.'s Wandering Island
Naturally, a floating island sounds like something people might want to explore.
BC Hydro has a different suggestion.
People can approach the island by boat or drone to take photographs, but they're being asked not to climb onto it.
What looks like solid ground may actually be vegetation sitting over logs and decomposing woody material, making the surface unstable and potentially dangerous.
BC Hydro says it will continue monitoring the island.
Probably a sensible decision.
After all, this is a tree-covered island roughly the size of two football fields that managed to travel 30 kilometres across British Columbia's largest reservoir.
For now, it has stopped.
Whether B.C.'s wandering island plans another trip is another question.
Source
BC Hydro — Missing island mystery solved: Floating island located on Williston Reservoir, September 2, 2026.