A two-football-field “island” appeared, drifted away — then vanished
Call it a present-day development with pop-up-shop energy: a ginormous tree-covered “island” suddenly appeared in British Columbia’s Williston Reservoir this summer, floated around long enough to make officials wonder whether the whole thing was AI nonsense — and then disappeared.
Except it was real.
B.C. Hydro confirmed the object in satellite imagery from July 21, 2026, after residents and boaters began sharing footage of the bizarre floating landmass. The utility estimated it at roughly 140 metres long and 70 metres wide — about 9,800 square metres, or close to two NFL football fields.
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Explore Williston Reservoir
The floating island may have vanished from satellite view, but Williston Reservoir itself is very real — and it is the largest reservoir in British Columbia.
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B.C. Hydro Thought the Floating Island Might Be Fake
Honestly, fair. In 2026, when a giant forested island suddenly starts circulating online, skepticism is practically a survival skill.
B.C. Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said the utility was initially doubtful because manipulated and AI-generated imagery has become so common. But satellite data settled that question: the island really was floating in the reservoir, roughly 100 kilometres west of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam.
Then came the second mystery. By August 5, the landmass was no longer visible in updated satellite imagery. That does not necessarily mean it sank. Gammer said it could have drifted back toward shore or into a sheltered area where it became harder to spot from above.
So What Was This Thing?
The leading explanation is much less extraterrestrial — but still pretty spectacular.
B.C. Hydro believes logs, woody debris and organic matter may have accumulated for years along a protected shoreline. Over time, vegetation and even trees could take root in the decaying material, essentially creating a floating raft convincing enough to look like a real island.
Unusually high reservoir levels may then have helped break the mass loose. Reports noted that Williston reached water levels not seen in roughly 14 years after heavy winter snow and steady rainfall, potentially pulling more shoreline debris into the reservoir and giving the floating island its moment in open water.
And Williston is no tiny lake. B.C. Hydro describes it as British Columbia’s largest reservoir and the seventh-largest reservoir in the world by volume, stretching through the Peace region near Mackenzie and Hudson’s Hope.
See the Giant Williston Reservoir Island That Had Everyone Talking
Footage shared online shows the enormous floating mass that prompted B.C. Hydro to check satellite imagery and confirm that the strange sighting was real.
'According to estimates, it's bigger than the size of a Canadian football field and nearly the size of two NFL fields' https://t.co/zhFI83WOeu pic.twitter.com/AxulAa7qtW
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 30, 2026
Watch More Footage of the Williston Reservoir Floating Island
The supplied vertical clip offers another look at the massive floating landmass during its brief appearance on the reservoir.
Sources: B.C. Hydro; CBC News; UPI; The Weather Network.
