Filippo Reef facts for kids
Filippo Reef is a place in the Pacific Ocean that was once thought to be a coral reef. A coral reef is like an underwater city built by tiny sea animals called corals.
Where is Filippo Reef?
Filippo Reef is located far out in the Pacific Ocean. It is about 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of Starbuck Island. This island is part of a group of islands called the Line Islands. The exact spot where Filippo Reef was reported is 5°30′ South and 151°50′ West.
How Was It Discovered?
The reef was first reported by the captain of an Italian ship named Filippo. He saw something that looked like a reef on June 28, 1886. Later, in 1926, another report mentioned "breakers" there. Breakers are waves that crash over shallow areas, like reefs. This report said the water was very shallow, only about 0.6 to 0.9 meters (2 to 3 feet) deep. It also described the reef as being about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) long.
Is Filippo Reef Real?
Even though it was reported twice, many people now think Filippo Reef might not exist. It is likely a phantom island. A phantom island is a piece of land or a reef that appears on maps for a while but is later found not to be real.
Modern maps and ocean data show that the sea in that area is actually very deep. The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) shows the water there is about 3.3 miles (5.3 kilometers) deep. This is much deeper than the old reports suggested. Because of this, experts believe the 1926 report was probably a mistake.
Even so, some maps, like the 2005 National Geographic Atlas of the World, still show Filippo Reef. This is because old reports can sometimes stay on maps for a long time, even after they are proven wrong.
