Researchers Mistook Newly Found Island In Antarctica's Danger Zone For A "Dirty" Iceberg

In a surprising discovery, a team of explorers found an unknown island during an expedition in a risky area near Antarctica. The island, which is said to be similar in size to Egypt's Great Pyramid, was spotted in a region that had earlier been marked as a "danger zone" on maps, reported NYPost.

The discovery was made by a 93-member international team exploring the northwestern Weddell Sea. The team had been on board the icebreaker Polarstern since February 8, 2026, as part of a research mission.

Simon Dreutter, a member of the expedition from the Bathymetry Department of the Alfred Wegener Institute, said they quickly realised what they saw was an island.

The team's journey took a turn when a severe storm forced them to take refuge near Joinville Island. During this time, the scientists and crew on board spotted a mysterious piece of land in an area previously considered dangerous for navigation.

According to Dreutter, marine maps had described the area as one of unknown dangers, but it was unclear what was there or where this information came from. 

He explained that they used bathymetry data to thoroughly investigate the coastline and then returned to the ship's bridge.

When Dreutter and his team looked out from the ship, they initially saw it as a dirty iceberg. However, upon closer inspection, they realised it might actually be a rock.

When the team changed course and approached the location, it became clear that it wasn't just a rock, but an entire island.

The team then moved the Polarstern ship closer to the location, bringing it within 500 feet of the landmass. A detailed study was later conducted from above using a drone.

The island rises approximately 50 feet above sea level, measures approximately 165 feet wide and 426 feet long. 

Its size is believed to be comparable to the length of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.

Scientists still don't understand why this island was only shown as a danger zone on navigational maps, while other data didn't record it as a coastline. Furthermore, its location on the map was found to be approximately a mile off from its actual location.

The team also noted that the island was difficult to identify in satellite images because its ice-covered surface closely resembles the surrounding icebergs.

The new island has not yet been named. The researchers plan to officially map it and name it in the future.

This discovery indicates that even today, some parts of the Earth remain unexplored and hold many mysteries.