Maria Theresa Reef facts for kids
Maria Theresa Reef on 1921 Pacific map
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 36°50′S 136°39′W / 36.833°S 136.650°W |
| Type | Phantom island |
The Maria Theresa Reef is a mysterious place in the South Pacific. It's known as a "phantom reef" because many people believed it existed, but it was never truly found. Imagine a place on old maps that explorers searched for, but it was just a trick of the light or a mistake! This reef is also sometimes called Tabor Island or Tabor Reef on French maps. It's located south of the French Tuamotu islands and east of New Zealand.
Contents
The Mystery of Maria Theresa Reef
Early Reports and Sightings
The story of Maria Theresa Reef began on November 16, 1843. A captain named Asaph P. Taber, sailing on a whaling ship called the Maria-Theresa, reported seeing a dangerous reef. He said he saw "breakers," which are waves crashing against a hidden reef or shallow area. This usually means land or a reef is nearby. Captain Taber noted its location in his ship's logbook.
Over the years, other old maps and records mentioned Maria Theresa Reef. For example, some French naval maps and an old chart from 1817 also showed this mysterious spot. These reports made people believe the reef was real.
Searching for the Reef
Many explorers and ships tried to find Maria Theresa Reef, but they were never successful.
- In 1957, a search for Tabor Island (another name for the reef) found nothing.
- In the 1970s, a New Zealand navy ship, the HMNZS Tui, explored the area thoroughly. They found no shallow waters or islands. The ocean there was incredibly deep, about 5,000 meters (or 2,734 fathoms)!
- In 1983, scientists recalculated where the reef might be, moving its supposed location over 1,000 kilometers to the east. Another search was done, but again, nothing was found.
Because of these failed searches and the deep ocean, most people now believe Maria Theresa Reef does not exist. It is considered a true phantom reef. In 1966, an amateur radio magazine published a photo of someone claiming to be on Maria Teresa Reef. This was later proven to be a hoax, meaning it was a trick.
Other Phantom Islands Nearby
Maria Theresa Reef isn't the only "phantom island" in this part of the South Pacific. Other reefs that were once reported but likely don't exist include Jupiter Reef, Wachusett Reef, and Ernest Legouve Reef. It's thought that the stories of Maria Theresa Reef might have inspired the reports of these other mysterious places. Even today, some older maps and atlases still show these imaginary reefs!
Maria Theresa Reef in Stories
Jules Verne's Adventures
Even though Maria Theresa Reef probably isn't real, it became famous in the exciting adventure novels of Jules Verne. He was a French writer known for stories like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.
In Search of the Castaways
In Verne's book In Search of the Castaways (also known as The Children of Captain Grant), Maria Theresa Reef plays a big role. Captain Grant and two of his crew members are shipwrecked there. A message with their location is found, but it's partly erased. This sends the children and Lord Glenarvan on a long journey to find the castaways. At the end of the story, a character named Ayrton is left on the island.
The Mysterious Island
Maria Theresa Reef appears again in Verne's novel The Mysterious Island. The heroes of this story, who are living on a nearby fictional place called Lincoln Island, travel to Tabor Island (Maria Theresa Reef). They find Ayrton there, who has been living alone. They bring him back to civilization. Later, after Lincoln Island is destroyed by a volcano, the heroes are saved. A ship called the Duncan was looking for Ayrton on Tabor Island and found a note there. This note, left by the kind Captain Nemo, led them to the heroes on Lincoln Island.
Verne described Tabor Island as a small, low island, "barely emerging from the waves." He said it was about six miles around, with a twisting channel of reefs.
Verne's Fictional Geography
Jules Verne's stories are full of adventure, but sometimes his maps were a bit tricky! Experts who study Verne's work have pointed out that the exact location of Tabor Island in his books can be confusing. Verne used different ways to measure longitude (east-west position), which made it hard to pinpoint the island precisely. This adds to the mystery of Maria Theresa Reef, both in fiction and in real life!
