The BBC reports that a group of scientists say they have discovered by luck what they believe is the world’s northernmost island off Greenland’s coast.

In July, the scientists flew to collect samples to what they thought was Oodaaq Island, that has been known since 1978. But when they checked their position with the Danish official in charge of registering Arctic islands, they were 800m (2,625ft) further north. The 60X30m island is the closest point of land to the North Pole, they say.

“The island was discovered during a Danish-Swiss research expedition, which I was co-ordinating,” scientific leader Morten Rasch of the Arctic Station in Greenland, University of Copenhagen, told the BBC.

“We were six people in a small helicopter, and when we reached the position of Oodaaq Island, we could not find it,” he said, adding that maps were not very accurate in that part of the world.

So, we just started to search for the island. After a few very exciting minutes, we landed on a strange unvegetated bunch of mud, moraine deposits and gravel surrounded by sea ice on all sides – not a very friendly place.

“After the expedition and many discussions with specialists on the topic, we have now realized that we by accident actually discovered the world’s most northerly island.” The newly discovered island has been named Qeqertaq Avannarleq.

Scientists stumble upon ‘world’s northernmost island’