# Secret lab facility found on Clipperton Island! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 11, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535 "2023-04-11T21:16:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535/1 "2023-04-11T21:16:56Z")
Perusing Google Maps led me to find some sort of high tech lab/supervillain’s lair on the French possession of Clipperton Island about 600 miles off of Mexico’s west coast. I discovered that if I zoomed in on the island’s ‘trou sans fond’ (bottomless hole) in the southern bit of the lagoon, then dropped the little man icon used for browsing street images into the hole, I was transported to the facility pictured below the map of the island. It takes a couple attempts to get him sucked into the hole/facility, so don’t give up too quick! [![](https://i.postimg.cc/pdtRfC3y/clipperton.png) ](https://i.postimg.cc/pdtRfC3y/clipperton.png) [![](https://i.postimg.cc/L8PmgwCr/clipperton-lab.jpg) ](https://i.postimg.cc/L8PmgwCr/clipperton-lab.jpg) Those wacky Google Map folks! ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535/2 "2023-04-12T01:35:39Z")
I’m really disappointed that I can’t push any of the buttons or turn the screens on. And that there’s no one at the ‘reception desk’. I want it to work like an Escape Room! ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535/3 "2023-04-12T17:35:35Z")
I’m curious how much time you spend clicking on Google Maps that you found this oddity? I believe you are retired 😉 Also odd is I didn’t notice the normal blue dot indicating there is something to click. Neat find. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535/4 "2023-04-12T17:46:40Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > I’m curious how much time you spend clicking on Google Maps that you found this oddity? Full disclosure: I’m fascinated by small islands, and am on some sites devoted to us fans. I was told there that Clipperton island (long a fave of mine) had an easter egg. I looked, I found. The pic can be found if you hover the streetview icon man over the right spot. Then drop him. But yes, I’m nicely retired, still slowed down by my cancer treatment and love wandering the globe remotely. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535/5 "2023-04-12T17:52:03Z")
Using Google maps and Google Earth to find interesting things is fun, and I am also retired. Here, delightfully, is the Headington Shark, seen from above. [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/8QPDgJ5.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/ZbnXw5T) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535/6 "2023-04-12T18:17:09Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Here, delightfully, is the Headington Shark, seen from above. Nice! Here’s a rooftop sign near Milwaukee’s main airport, also nicely visible on google maps [https://i.postimg.cc/c1TvZFJQ/welcome-to-cleveland.png](https://i.postimg.cc/c1TvZFJQ/welcome-to-cleveland.png) ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535/7 "2023-04-12T19:25:08Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I’m fascinated by small islands Same! Not exactly sure why, but maybe it’s because of my exploration of the San Juan and Gulf Islands. I did find the hidden room by clicking around. > [@Maserschmidt](#): > > the Headington Shark I recently learned of the shark through a Tom Scott Youtube video. Naturally I went to Google Earth to take a look. I have a hard time reading articles or watching videos about locations without taking a local look through GE. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535/8 "2023-04-12T22:17:59Z")
Interesting bit of [history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipperton_Island) too. > Lighthouse keeper Victoriano Álvarez was the last man on the island, together with 15 women and children. Álvarez proclaimed himself ‘king’, and began a campaign of rape and murder, before being killed by Tirza Rendón, who was his favourite victim. Almost immediately after Álvarez’s death, four women and seven children, the last survivors, were picked up by the U.S. Navy gunship Yorktownon 18 July 1917. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535/9 "2023-04-12T22:20:02Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Interesting bit of [history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipperton_Island) too. Oh yeah. There are some very interesting Youtube videos about Clipperton, telling that story and others. Cousteau explored the island too. [Jacques Cousteau Odyssey: Clipperton](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrPizVV1KJI&t=335s) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-lab-facility-found-on-clipperton-island/982535/10 "2023-04-13T11:34:03Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Perusing Google Maps led me to find some sort of high tech lab/supervillain’s lair The way to tell if it’s really a supervillain’s lair is by finding a self-destruct button under the receptionist desk. Or a trap door to the shark tank in the conference room.