Google Ocean: Has Atlantis Been Found off the Coast of Africa?

 

The legendary lost city of Atlantis has captivated imaginations for centuries. From its origins in the writings of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, Atlantis has inspired countless explorers, historians, and conspiracy theorists to search for evidence of this advanced civilization that supposedly sank beneath the ocean thousands of years ago. In 2009, excitement was reignited when an image on Google Ocean, an extension of Google Earth, appeared to reveal what looked like a massive, grid-like structure on the ocean floor near the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa. Could this have been the long-lost city of Atlantis?

The "Discovery" of Atlantis on Google Ocean

It all started when Bernie Bamford, a 38-year-old aeronautical engineer from Chester, England, was exploring Google Ocean’s underwater imagery and stumbled upon a strange, grid-like pattern on the seabed, around 620 miles west of the Canary Islands. The discovery, resembling a perfect rectangular grid about the size of Wales, spurred curiosity. The lines looked strikingly like streets or an ancient city map, leading many to speculate that Bamford had possibly found the lost city of Atlantis.

The exact coordinates of the mysterious structure are 31 15'15.53N, 24 15'30.53W, a location within one of the many areas proposed as possible sites for Atlantis. Plato had described Atlantis as being situated "in front of the Pillars of Hercules" (now known as the Strait of Gibraltar), and the discovery of a potential submerged city grid off the African coast seemed to fit his description.

Atlantis Experts Weigh In

Dr. Charles Orser, curator of historical archaeology at New York State University and an expert on Atlantis, called the find "fascinating" and expressed that it deserved further inspection. According to Orser, the area identified on Google Ocean is one of the most credible locations for Atlantis based on Plato’s descriptions. While many scholars and historians consider Atlantis to be purely mythological, some continue to explore the possibility that it was based on a real, ancient civilization that met a catastrophic end.

Plato’s writings describe Atlantis as a highly advanced civilization that existed around 9,000 BC. According to the philosopher, the island was larger than "Libya and Asia put together" and was rich in resources, with a powerful naval force. However, Atlantis fell from grace after attempting to conquer Athens, resulting in its destruction and submersion by earthquakes and floods.

Google’s Response: A Data Collection Artifact?

While the discovery stirred excitement among Atlantis enthusiasts, Google quickly dismissed the idea that the grid lines represented the ruins of a lost city. In a statement, Google explained that the "streets" seen on the ocean floor were not man-made structures but rather the result of the sonar mapping process used to collect underwater data. The grid pattern, they claimed, was an artifact created by boats using sonar to map the seafloor, with the lines representing the path of the boats during data collection.

"Bathymetric (or sea floor terrain) data is often collected from boats using sonar to take measurements of the sea floor. The lines reflect the path of the boat as it gathers the data," Google explained.

For many, this explanation put an end to the Atlantis discovery claim. But for others, it only fueled their suspicion that the mysterious grid was, in fact, evidence of an ancient city and that Google was covering it up. After all, Atlantis has long been a subject of intrigue, and the prospect of a modern technological discovery revealing its location captivated conspiracy theorists.

The Enduring Atlantis Mystery

Whether or not Atlantis exists, the mystery remains unsolved. Numerous theories about the location of Atlantis have been proposed over the years, with suggested sites ranging from Southern Spain to Cyprus to Antarctica. Plato's description of the island has led some researchers to believe that it might have been a real place, while others argue that Atlantis was a philosophical allegory meant to illustrate the dangers of human hubris.

This is not the first time that Google Earth has been at the center of wild discoveries or conspiracy theories. The platform has previously been credited with revealing everything from secret military bases to mysterious crop circles and even sunken ships. In this case, while Google insists that the grid lines off the coast of Africa are nothing more than sonar mapping artifacts, the allure of Atlantis lives on.

Conclusion: Atlantis—Myth or Reality?

The "discovery" of Atlantis on Google Ocean may not have yielded definitive proof of a lost ancient city, but it certainly reignited interest in one of the greatest mysteries of all time. While Google’s explanation about sonar mapping data seems plausible, the dream of uncovering Atlantis endures in the imaginations of explorers and believers.

As with most things related to Atlantis, this story is a mixture of science, myth, and speculation. Whether the lost city of Atlantis lies off the coast of Africa, under the sands of the Sahara, or in the realm of allegory, it continues to inspire people around the world to search for answers.

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For more on this story, you can check out the original coverage on The Telegraph here.