A massive, tree-covered floating island that appeared without warning on a remote Canadian reservoir has puzzled locals, drawn skepticism from officials and then seemingly vanished from view. The unusual landmass, estimated to be nearly the size of two NFL football fields, was first seen in early August drifting across Williston Reservoir in northern British Columbia, the seventh-largest reservoir in the world. A local resident photographed the eerie formation from a distance, then approached by boat and captured video showing trees along its edge rising and falling with the water. The images were later sent to longtime area resident Rocky Avery, who shared them on social media on August 12, where the footage quickly spread. “It was a pretty amazing sight to see, never seen anything like that in my 40 years in this country,” Avery told CBC, adding that he posted the material partly to alert BC Hydro “in case [the island] was floating down their way.”
BC Hydro confirms island’s existence
BC Hydro, the provincial utility that generates power through the WAC Bennett Dam — the structure that created Williston Reservoir — initially treated the reports with caution. Company spokesperson Bob Gammer told CBC he was doubtful at first, saying the footage looked so extraordinary that he wondered whether it could have been created with artificial intelligence, especially given the rise of AI-generated videos circulating online. That skepticism faded after BC Hydro reviewed satellite imagery and confirmed that the floating island was real.
Rare island vanishes from recent view
A satellite image dated July 21, roughly three weeks before Avery’s viral post, showed the island in the main body of the reservoir about 60 miles west of the WAC Bennett Dam. From that image, BC Hydro estimated the floating mass covered about 105,500 square feet, making it slightly smaller than two football fields combined. But after confirming its existence using the older image, the utility was unable to locate it in more recent satellite views. “It’s disappeared now,” Gammer told CBC. “It doesn’t mean it’s gone to the bottom of the reservoir.”
Rising water lifts island from shore
Gammer said the island may have simply drifted back into a protected area near the shoreline. He pointed to an unusually high water level as the most likely explanation for the strange phenomenon, noting that Williston Reservoir is full for the first time in 14 years. During the long period of lower water, driftwood and other organic debris likely collected along the banks, allowing trees to take root in the decomposing material. As water levels rose this year, that unstable base may have broken free from the shore and floated out into open water, pushed by wind across the reservoir.
Floating island resurfaces up the Ospika
According to Gammer, BC Hydro has already seen more trees and shoreline debris than usual being pulled into Williston Reservoir this year. The company does not expect the floating island to interfere with operations, but it is continuing to watch for any sign of it returning. Although BC Hydro had not found newer satellite images showing the island, Avery posted fresh photos on Facebook on Monday evening claiming it had been spotted again. “The floating island has been found again up the ospika,” he wrote, referring to the Ospika River, which flows into Williston Reservoir.
