In the 15th century, the era of great geographical discoveries began in the history of mankind, which lasted until the 17th century. At this time, seafarers-travelers set off in search of trading partners. Hitherto unknown lands are being discovered, new routes are being laid, and people's knowledge of our planet is expanding significantly. A general map of the globe is created, where previously unknown continents and states are marked.
A large number of islands are applied to the geographical atlas of the world, the existence of which has not been officially confirmed. When it seems that all uninhabited corners have long been open, white spots on the map excite the imagination.
The island on which Harry Grant was waiting for salvation
The amazing island of Tabor is familiar to us from the novels of Jules Verne "The Mysterious Island" and "Children of Captain Grant." The courageous hero of adventure books Harry Grant, whose ship was wrecked, reached a small piece of land, where he was found by the Glenarvan expedition.
The author himself, who laid the foundation for the genre of science fiction, sincerely believed that the island of Tabor really exists. Reef Maria Teresa - its second name (it is under this name that the part of the land surrounded by water was listed on English and German maps).
The first message about a small piece of sushi
It is curious that the captain of the ship Taber first reported about this land area in 1843. Until the middle of the 20th century, the island was depicted on all geographical maps. Even the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, one of the most respected sources, confirms this fact, denoting the coordinates of the island of Tabor as 37 ° 00 's. w. and 151 ° 13 'in. d.
Unsuccessful quest for a mysterious land
In 1957, travelers who are loyal fans of the works of the French writer set off on a long journey. Imagine their disappointment with the fact that no traces of the existence of the island were found at the place of the indicated coordinates.
However, nine years later an article appeared in GQ - a monthly magazine for men - that caused a huge response. The description and photos of Tabor Island are published, and millions of readers around the world wonder if these are real images, or if the editors draw attention to their publication in this way by fabricating photographs. Most people are inclined to believe that this is still a publicity stunt.
In the 70s of the last century, the famous New Zealand expedition set off in search of an island in the Pacific Ocean, but did not find a single piece of land in this place that fit the description. The island of Tabor is considered a ghost, but fictitious land is still put on world maps, and on the 37th parallel of south latitude (imaginary line) until the 70s of the last century, a nonexistent corner flaunts.
New expeditions
Ten years later, the data are updated, and the coordinates are rechecked again. Now they look like this: 36 ° 50 'y. w. and 136 ° 39 'in. e. This means that the reef is located more than 1000 kilometers from here, and the search was conducted at all not where needed. A new expedition instead of the island discovers only powerful mountains, the tops of which rest above the water.
Pumice island?
Geologists express an interesting opinion that the island of Tabor is a pumice overgrown with vegetation, spat out once upon an eruption of an underwater volcano and drifting across the ocean. That is why its coordinates change each time.
Foamed volcanic glass instantly solidifies, forming a porous substance that floats beautifully in water. Since pumice is a rather brittle material, the islands consisting of it quickly collapse under the influence of shock waves. On such blocks, found in a cozy harbor, far from the strong currents of the ocean, algae grow, birds relax, and even animals feed on fish. Land areas, consisting of pumice, move vast distances, but in the end they split and go to the bottom.
Phantom missing on modern maps
All other searches for a mysterious piece of land do not lead to success, and Western scientists say that the reef is likely to be phantom. So, its existence at the end of the last century is being called into question.
In our century, a virtual globe - the Google Earth project, which helps to look into the most remote corners of the planet Earth, answers all queries about the mystical island of Tabor that it is missing from satellite images and modern maps.