The Paraná River, the second longest in South America at 4,880 kilometers in length, is shared by the countries of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The 4,880 kilometers aren’t insignificant, and they open up a world of possibilities. One of the fascinating finds was uncovered in the Paraná’s delta: a circular island, 120 meters in diameter, that bobbed freely on its axis.
Finland, Turkey, Italy, Serbia, the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine, Lake Titicaca on the border of Bolivia and Peru, Lake Loktak in India, and many other sites across the world all feature instances of so-called floating islands. However, this island in Argentina is unlike any other due to its peculiar shape and constant rotation.
Large roots that have fallen into the water often serve as the foundation for floating islands, on which still another type of aquatic plant may eventually flourish. Typically, the roots of plants that grow at the edge of wetlands move inward until they reach soil that is too deep for the water to penetrate. If this happens, they’ll float with the help of the oxygen in their root mass and stay afloat by clinging to nearby vegetation.
Vegetational islands on the lake may be ripped apart by occasional violent storms and blown across the water. If the winds are high enough, they’ll either break up altogether or locate a place of relative quiet along the shore.
However, there are situations in which the floating islands remain for much longer. The indigenous Uru people have colonized a series of 120 islands in Lake Titicaca, but they must constantly tend to these islands in order to ensure their continued existence.
El Ojo, or Eye Island, is a peculiar piece of land that is constantly shifting position due to the unique currents that gave rise to it. The muddy pieces that may have served as resting spots are repeatedly detached as it crashes into their environment.
Recently, Argentine director Sergio Neuspiller found the island in the delta while scouting for a new location for one of his films about supernatural occurrences. He didn’t realize the island was gently spinning until he went to the spot a short time later and found that it had shifted. Even in Google satellite photographs from different dates, the shift is apparent.
In addition, the recordings show that the island has been a part of the Paraná delta for about two decades, since 2003. Sometime about 2016, Neuspiller became obsessed with the mystery of the revolving island, and he and a New York City engineer began fundraising to investigate. They needed $50,000 to conclude their research, which would have included the paranormal, but they were only able to raise $25,000. I can’t believe this.
H/T: beautyofplanet.com
