A “Black Hole” in the Pacific Ocean? Here’s the Truth.

Ever seen that Chappelle’s Show skit? The one where the internet is like a mall, a real-life place as opposed to a virtual realm in which we all inhabit nearly every waking moment of our lives. People bombard Dave, offering him sketchy medical treatments, celebrity sex tapes, free music downloads...all the while, Dave simply “logged on” to get the latest news, maybe some sports scores.

Yeah, Reddit is like that. Toss in some conspiracy theories for good measure.

Back in 2021, an image went viral on Reddit, showing what appeared to be a “black hole” in the middle of the Pacific Ocean via Google Maps. It was posted, aptly, on the r/GoogleMaps thread. It showed a triangular-shaped mass, impossibly black, surrounded by blue, lapping water. As imagined in a place like Reddit, folks went wild with speculation. Was it a hole in the ocean? A black hole? Was it purposefully blacked out due to some sensitive government military site? Aliens!?

Turns out, it’s a real island. It’s called Vostok Island, an uninhabited land mass about the size of just 0.1 square miles, and one of 33 islands that encompass the South Pacific’s Republic of Kiribati. And that dark coloring? It’s trees. Specifically, a dense population of Pisonia Trees, which grow very densely together, are dark green in coloring, and can appear even darker from above.

According to JSTOR Daily:

“Trees of the genus Pisonia are not your average tree. They seem like something that would be at home in Middle Earth, or maybe Harry Potter’s wizarding world. The genus is not fully understood, even as new species are periodically discovered. Found in tropical habitats, mainly islands in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific, Pisonia trees resemble any typical large, tropical tree. Typical, that is, until you notice the bones.

“Pisonia trees are faced with a conundrum. Dispersing seeds any distance requires transporting them to other islands. But how? They hijack birds. Most Pisonia trees, especially Pisonia Grandisin the Indo-Pacific region, are found almost exclusively on islands that host large colonies of seabirds such as terns, noddies, or boobies. The birds nest nearby, or even in, the trees. The trees, in turn, flourish in the special soil made acidic by copious guano deposits.”

So, trees and birds. No black holes. How ‘bout them drones, though? Reddit’s been on fire with those. Go down the rabbit hole, if you dare.