Google Maps Shows Mysterious ‘nuke island’ that Visitors are Banned from Going Near

There is something a little fishy about the photos of this remote tropical island on Google Maps. Satellite imagery from the digital map service shows Mururoa on the left but blurs the rest.

Moruroa is a mysterious island in French Polynesia that was used for nuclear testingMoruroa is a mysterious island in French Polynesia that was used for nuclear testing

In place of satellite imagery is a blueish blob that obscures whatever lies beneath from users. Moruroa, a small atoll located in the southern Pacific Ocean.

Although it is not known why much of the island has been censored many believe that this may be due to its nuclear history.

France undertook significant nuclear testing on the atoll between 1966 and 1996 – with as many as 181 tests performed during this period.

The island’s explosions are believed to have had a 200-fold greater force than the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945.

Greenpeace conducted a study and found that radiation levels of 12 million ms were detected in the water.

It is not surprising that the island is closed to visitors.

The dismantling of nuclear testing facilities ordered by the French president Jacques Chirac in 1996 stopped testing at the site.

Chirac said live on the radio that “the safety of our country and our children is assured.”

Due to safety concerns, the island is still guarded by French troops – which could explain why it’s blurred out by Google.

France’s government requested that Google pull all images of French prisons from the web in 2018.

Following a daring escape from Paris’ prison, the order was issued after a helicopter flew into the courtyard.

Redoine Faid, the notorious killer, used Google Maps to find Reau prison’s location.

Satellite image of Moruroa, an atoll in the southern Pacific Ocean

Satellite image of Moruroa, an atoll in the southern Pacific OceanCredit: Nasa

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