Nov. 23, 2012— -- Sandy Island was nowhere to be found when Australian scientists reached the South Pacific location where it appeared on Google Earth, nautical charts and world maps.

Does it sometimes seem like every single inch of Earth has been discovered? Far from it. But scientists are working on it.

However, more recent digital maps, including Google Maps, appear to show a vast landmass where Sandy Island is marked on older maps — though they failed to find any actual piece of land or island.

Sandy Island simply wasn’t there. Or, it turned out, anywhere. How could an island supposedly discovered in 1876, and appearing on many maps ever since, vanish? Did it sink beneath the waves ...

when an Australian research vessel reported that Sandy Island, which maps depicted off the coast of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, was most definitely not there. Within weeks the National ...

The mysterious Sandy Island has been charted since 1774 as being located new New Caledonia in the South Pacific, but you won’t find it in Google Maps today. Instead you’ll see a faint outline ...