Caught on cam: Video shows island 'moving' in optical illusion off Vancouver Island
A video of an island seemingly "moving" off the coast of Vancouver Island is making waves on the internet.
The video was taken by Canadian Geographic explorer George Kourounis while he was aboard a tour with Maple Leaf Adventures in the Slingsby Channel area, about an hour by boat from Port Hardy.
In the video, a landmark known as Tremble Island appears to be moving. The optical illusion was captured when the Maple Leaf vessel was sailing west as fast-moving water was flowing east against the island.
Slingsby Channel has some of the fastest tidal surges in the world, according to Maple Leaf, and Tremble Island sits at the narrowest point of the channel.
The island even gets its namesake from the extreme force of the waves, which can make the island feel like it's shaking or trembling, says Maple Leaf.
The video was taken early this summer, but it wasn't posted online until late August. Since then, the video has been seen more than 662,000 times, according to the company.
Maple Leaf Adventures CEO Kevin Smith, who was the expedition leader when the video was taken, says Tremble Island is known among some B.C. mariners for its rushing waters.
In the video, signs can be seen hanging or placed on the island. Smith says that these signs are planted on the island as a tradition by some sailors who are "brave enough or have a capable enough vessel" to sail a small boat onto the landmark.
Smith adds that another Maple Leaf crew planted their own sign there recently, after they helped remove trash from along B.C.'s coastlines, as part of the province's "Clean Coast, Clean Waters" program.
Smith says he was proud to show this corner of B.C. to Kourounis, because the pair are both members of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.