Technology
Revealed: 11 SECRET Google Maps locations you’re not allowed to see
GOOGLE Maps has a bold mission to document every corner of Earth – but some places are so secret they’re not allowed to be snapped.
From military bases, mysterious islands and even a random house in Stockton-on-Tees, there’s no shortage of secret spots Google Maps won’t show you.
Moruroa, French Polynesia
Moruroa is a small atoll in the southern Pacific Ocean.
It’s not clear why much of the island is censored, but some suspect it relates to the island’s nuclear history.
France undertook significant nuclear testing on the atoll between 1966 and 1996 – with as many as 181 tests performed during this time period.
- Find it here – 21°50’14.0″S 138°54’06.6″W
2207 Seymour Avenue, Ohio
This censored house is the site of the infamous Ariel Castro kidnappings, which took place between 2002 and 2004 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Three young women were kidnapped by Castro and held captive in his home – and remained imprisoned until May 2013.
One of the women eventually escaped and alerted the police. Castro was jailed for life plus 1,000 years in prison, but hung himself just one month into his sentence.
- Find it here – 41°28’21.6″N 81°41’52.7″W
A house in Stockton-on-Tees
It’s not exactly clear why this house on Princeport Road in humble Stockton-on-Tees is blurred.
Even resident Jane Allison has no idea, saying: “I’ve been in this house since 2000 but I have no idea why you can’t see it.
“If you find out it would be nice to know why.”
- Find it here – 54°34’14.5″N 1°18’12.9″W
Jeannette Island, Russia
Jeannette Island is a small island in the East Siberian Sea, measuring just 1.2 miles in length.
The island is mainly covered by ice, and has a 1,152-foot peak in the centre.
It’s not clear exactly why the island is blurred, although there have been issues around whether the island belongs to Russia or the USA.
- Find it here – 76°47′24″N 157°58′00″E
North Korea
A section to the left of North Korea is blurred on Google Maps[/caption]
It might come as no surprise that a section of North Korea is blurred out on Google Maps.
Just type in the secretive country’s name and look to the left where you should see a whole section of mystery.
Amchitka Island – Alaska
Amchitka Island was the site of US underground nuclear testing in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
A quick search for it on Google Maps shows blurred out sections.
The US carried out its largest underground nuclear test there.
It’s currently under observation for any radioactive leakage and may become a limited access wildlife reserve in 2025.
- Find it here
Greek military base
This military base in Athens is completely pixellated.
It’s never been explicitly explained why, but often this kind of blurring is related to national security.
- Find it here – 38°01′31″N 23°42′57″E
French nuclear facility
The AREVA La Hague nuclear fuel reprocessing facility in France is significantly blurred.
Opened in 1976, it treats spent nuclear fuel from several countries around the world.
It has faced controversy, however: Greenpeace has been campaigning for its shut-down since 1997, after claims that it dumps “one million litres of liquid radioactive waste per day” into the ocean.
- Find it here – 49°40′49″N 1°52′48″W
Polish Special Forces base
The Dowództwo Wojsk Specjalnych is the Special Forces Command.
The DWS was responsible for commanding and training Poland’s Special Forces, although a different organisation handles this now.
Its home remains blurred on Google Maps.
- Find it here – 50°02′13″N 19°54′14″E
Patio de los Naranjos, Spain
Patio de los Naranjos, which translates to Orange Tree Yard, is an area in Almeria, Spain.
It’s not clear why the area is blurred on Google Maps, but it likely relates to the government buildings in the vicinity.
- Find it here – 36°50′20″N 2°28′20″W
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Sandy Island, a “phantom” isle
Sandy Island is what’s known as a “phantom island”.
It was charted for over a century as being located near New Caledonia (a French territory), and has been included on many maps and nautical charts.
It was first “discovered” and charted by Captain James Cook in September 1774, but was eventually “undiscovered” in 1979.
The island was displayed on Google Maps until November 2012, when Australian scientists confirmed the island’s absence.
Now all that remains is a view of the rise in the sea bed, which occupies the same shape as the original island.
- Find it here – 19.22°S 159.93°E
Do you know any interesting Google Maps or Google Street View secrets we should know about? Tell us in the comments!
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