The earth’s surface has many lost lands. This could include lost continents, islands, or other prehistoric regions. It is believed that these areas once existed, but they have vanished due to geological catastrophes or the slow rise in sea levels since the last Ice Age.
Most of the lost lands have disappeared into the ocean, leaving only a few legends and traces behind. A lost or phantom island, also known as a phantom island, is an island that appears on maps for a certain period (sometimes even centuries) in recorded history. However, it was later deleted after it was found not to exist. Some were placed on a map incorrectly; others could have been real locations in ancient times.
Reports of early sailors exploring new territories often lead to the creation of phantom islands. Some of them, like the Isle of Demons, are mythical. Others were born from bermeja island the misplacement of islands or other errors. Pepys Island, an example of a misidentification in the Falkland Islands, was also a result. Originally shown on maps as an isolated island, Baja California Peninsula was later identified as part of the North American mainland. The Banks Peninsula, South Island of New Zealand, was also discovered to be attached. Captain James Cook had initially called Banks Island.
Thule may have been discovered in the 4th Century BC by the Greek explorer Pytheas. It was then lost. Ancient explorers and geographers later reidentified it as either the Shetland (Iceland), Scandinavia, or non-existent. Although many phantom islands appear to have never existed, a few may have been destroyed by submarine landslides, earthquakes, volcanic explosions, or underwater landslides. Sir Francis Drake visited Pactolus Bank.
Other phantom Islands are likely due to navigational problems, occasional breakers, misidentification of Icebergs, Fog Banks, or optical illusions. New South Greenland, seen in the Weddell Strait in 1823 but never seen again, could have been caused by a superior mirage. Bermeja Island was named after the Spanish word for “Bermejo,” meaning red. 16th-century cartographers described the reddish-blondish coloration of the island. Bermeja was chosen over the masculine Bermejo because the Spanish word “isla,” which means island, is feminine.
Alonso de Santa Cruz’s 1539 atlas of world islands was the first to note Bermeja Island. Santa Cruz’s map shows Bermeja Island just off Mexico’s coast. Santa Cruz also describes the island “…, which is translated from Spanish. The island’s existence would serve as a virtual extension of Mexico’s maritime boundary and play a significant role in protecting Mexican interests during drilling agreements with the United States.
International law allows countries to claim 200 miles of ocean offshore their territories. This is known as the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Alacranes Islands, Mexico, are the nearest land points to the Gulf of Mexico. Mexico would gain approximately 15% more territory in an area rich in oil if Bermeja Island were to exist.
In 2009, the Mexican government made repeated attempts to find the island through exploratory efforts. According to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (NAUM), Bermeja Island was not located in its documented location.