Maria Theresa Reef
Encyclopedia
The Maria-Theresa Reef is a supposed reef
in the South Pacific
(south of French Tuamotu islands and east of New Zealand
); it appears to be a phantom reef
. It is also known as Tabor Island or Tabor Reef on French maps.
, Massachusetts
, whaler
, to be situated at 37°00′S 151°00′W, later adjusted to 37°00′S 151°13′W. It was unsuccessfully searched for in 1957. In 1983, the position of the reef was recalculated at 36°50′S 136°39′W, more than 1,000 km further east, and searched for, but not found. Its existence is doubtful.
An amateur's radio journal "CQ" in 1966 published a photo and description of Don Miller broadcasting from what he claimed was Maria Teresa Reef. This has been since proven to be a hoax. New Zealand
's HMNZS Tui
made an extensive search of the area in the 1970s and found no shallows or islands. The depths in the region were shown to be 2,734 fathom
s (5,000 m). Other nearby historically reported reefs which also may not exist are: Jupiter Reef
, Wachusett Reef
, and Ernest Legouve Reef
. The historical sightings of these reefs were probably inspired by the supposed existence of Maria Theresa Reef. Even in the 21st Century, some map and atlas publishers still show this fictitious group of reefs in the South Pacific
.
's novels In Search of the Castaways
and The Mysterious Island
.
In In Search of the Castaways (The Children of Captain Grant), the island shelters Captain Grant and two of his crew. Its coordinates being half-erased in the help message found by the children, it takes them months to find the castaways. At the end of the book, Ayrton
, the renegade, is left in Grant's place to live among the beasts and regain his humanity.
In The Mysterious Island, after they have settled on Lincoln Island
, the heroes also find a message in a bottle, but the coordinates and name of the island appear clearly. They use a small ship to rescue Ayrton, and bring him back to civilisation and rehabilitation. Eventually, the bottle turns out to have been specifically sent to the heroes by the benevolent Captain Nemo
.
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
in the South Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
(south of French Tuamotu islands and east of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
); it appears to be a phantom reef
Phantom island
Phantom islands are islands that were believed to exist, and appeared on maps for a period of time during recorded history, but were later removed after they were proved to be nonexistent...
. It is also known as Tabor Island or Tabor Reef on French maps.
Reports
It was reported on 16 November 1843 by a Captain Asaph P. Taber (not "Tabor") of the Maria-Theresa, a New BedfordNew Bedford
-Places:*New Bedford, Illinois*New Bedford, Massachusetts, the most populous New Bedford**New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park*New Bedford, New Jersey *New Bedford, Ohio*New Bedford, Pennsylvania...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
, to be situated at 37°00′S 151°00′W, later adjusted to 37°00′S 151°13′W. It was unsuccessfully searched for in 1957. In 1983, the position of the reef was recalculated at 36°50′S 136°39′W, more than 1,000 km further east, and searched for, but not found. Its existence is doubtful.
An amateur's radio journal "CQ" in 1966 published a photo and description of Don Miller broadcasting from what he claimed was Maria Teresa Reef. This has been since proven to be a hoax. New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's HMNZS Tui
HMNZS Tui
The name HMNZS Tui may apply to* HMNZS Tui , a minesweeper commissioned 1941-1967* HMNZS Tui , an oceanographic research ship commissioned 1970–1998...
made an extensive search of the area in the 1970s and found no shallows or islands. The depths in the region were shown to be 2,734 fathom
Fathom
A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems, used especially for measuring the depth of water.There are 2 yards in an imperial or U.S. fathom...
s (5,000 m). Other nearby historically reported reefs which also may not exist are: Jupiter Reef
Jupiter Reef
Jupiter Reef or Jupiter Breakers is a supposed reef in the South Pacific ; it appears to be a phantom reef....
, Wachusett Reef
Wachusett Reef
Captain Lambert of the ship Wachusett reported that on June 4, 1899 he passed over a reef which appeared to be of coral formation in approximately latitude . The reef appeared to be about 500 feet wide. The bottom showed of a dark gray color with deep blue on both sides of the reef...
, and Ernest Legouve Reef
Ernest Legouve Reef
Located in the South Pacific Ernest‑Legouvé Reef was reported in 1902 by the unnamed captain of the French ship "Ernest‑Legouvé". The reef was about 100 metres long and another reef was sighted near it...
. The historical sightings of these reefs were probably inspired by the supposed existence of Maria Theresa Reef. Even in the 21st Century, some map and atlas publishers still show this fictitious group of reefs in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
.
In popular culture
The island appears in Jules VerneJules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
's novels In Search of the Castaways
In Search of the Castaways
In Search of the Castaways is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1867–1868. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Édouard Riou. In 1876 it was republished by George Routledge & Sons as a three volume set titled "A Voyage Round The World"...
and The Mysterious Island
The Mysterious Island
The Mysterious Island is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1874. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a sequel to Verne's famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways, though thematically it is...
.
In In Search of the Castaways (The Children of Captain Grant), the island shelters Captain Grant and two of his crew. Its coordinates being half-erased in the help message found by the children, it takes them months to find the castaways. At the end of the book, Ayrton
Tom Ayrton
Tom Ayrton is a fictional character who appears in two novels by French author Jules Verne. He is first introduced as a major character in the novel In Search of the Castaways...
, the renegade, is left in Grant's place to live among the beasts and regain his humanity.
In The Mysterious Island, after they have settled on Lincoln Island
Lincoln Island
Lincoln Island may refer to:*Lincoln Island , an island in Lynn Canal in Alaska, United States*Lincoln Island, one of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea known as Dōng Dǎo in Chinese and Đảo Linh-Côn in Vietnamese...
, the heroes also find a message in a bottle, but the coordinates and name of the island appear clearly. They use a small ship to rescue Ayrton, and bring him back to civilisation and rehabilitation. Eventually, the bottle turns out to have been specifically sent to the heroes by the benevolent Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....
.