[Lost Island rendering and map courtesy of LostMap]
For some, ‘Lost’ is more than a mere television show - it is a hobby, fantasy or even obsession. One of the most entrancing aspects of the show is its semi-abandoned Dharma Initiative stations that dot the island and have been slowly revealed over time. Dedicated followers of the series have slowly gathered and compiled data to compose a clearer picture of this fantastic island, cataloging locations in great detail.
[Note that the Hydra station as shown above is likely the Looking Glass]
While many loyal fans have devoted time to mapping the island and taking screen captures of places and events, few have attempted to integrate these to tell the visual story of the Dharma Initiative stations specifically in conjunction with a map of their location on the island - until now. For those new to the series, think of this as an orientation. For viewers, consider it a refresher course at the start of the new season.
The Swan station was the first discovered by the fictional survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. After an entire season of living off of the land and remnants from the plane wreckage, finding this station provided food, soap, showers and even a record player - a radical shift in livability. At the heart of this station an electromagnetic charge had to be manually diffused every 108 minutes, creating dramatic tension until one survivor took it into his hands to let the timer run out.
The Staff station contains a nursery as well as associated medical equipment. It has helped fuel speculation of possible diseases either created on or meant to be cured on the island. One pregnant survivor was abducted early in the series and taken to this station to be monitored. It is not clear whether the station was established for pregnancy-related or simply general medical purposes.
The Pearl represents an experiment within an experiment: a psychological study performed on people who believed they were themselves studying others. The station consists of a room with monitors and writing pads where “researchers” were tasked with recording what was going on around the island. Ultimately, they never knew that their reports went forever unread.
The Arrow is a relative mystery. First discovered by the second set of survivors on the island (from the crashed plane’s tale section) this station is quite bare. Speculation has it that the station had something to do with mathematics, but in its current state it appears to simply be a storage area with minimal electricity running to modest bare light bulbs illuminating the spaces.
The Flame was, prior to its destruction, a relatively unique station: a simple cabin in the woods as opposed to an elaborate underground semi-industrial complex. It was the communications hub for the island sending messages both to other stations and off the island. Aside from equipment to support its purpose it contained a small kitchen and other minor amenities.
The Hydra is an animal research station, cages of which have been used by The Others to house captured survivors. The station is used by The Others as a hospital, meeting area, holding facility and is also the staging ground for an unknown outdoor clearing and construction project - jokingly or seriously dubbed a future alien landing strip.
The Looking Glass is another highly unusual station - submerged dozens of feet (or more) underwater offshore of the island. Among other uses, it is part communications station and also can be (and has been) used to jam other transmissions on and off the island. This station was also the site of a death of one of the original main-cast survivors at the end of the third season.
The Orchid station is the 8th and final mystery station, not yet featured directly in the show. It has been primarily revealed through a spoiler orientation video which was used to rev up viewers for the fourth season of the series and its location is completely unknown. The video reveals first one then two rabbits that are identically numbered. From the phrasing within the video some have speculated that this is, in fact, one rabbit that was sent back in time - hence the need to keep the two apart, but surely more will be revealed.
Of course, all of this information is subject to change and represents the work of many fans working together to produce a coherent pictures of the island. Wikia has a good collection of more spoilers and background information on lost. New to the series? It’s never too late to start catching up
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40 Comments
February 14th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Shouldn’t the Medical station be clser to the beach camp?
February 14th, 2008 at 11:51 am
The first image of the “Swan” is actually when Eko and Locke find the Pearl, not of the Swan station.
February 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I think the Staff should be much closer to the Swan. Remember, Juliet and Sun walked there quite easily.
February 14th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Isn’t there a second island. the one with the u-boot where they where keep prisoners??
nice map like it a lot :)
February 14th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Yrneh Gnidrager
February 14th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
You’re forgetting that the Hydra animal research station is located on a smaller island a few miles from the main island where the Flight 815 survivors have been living. And is likely where the “Hostiles” (as the Others are called by Dharma Initiative members), have gone in the absence of Ben’s leadership.
February 14th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Nice map. I’ve been following Lost enthusiastically, but I never quite undestood the island’s geography before.
February 14th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
the looking glass is also used to send out pings to help submarines locate the island. the map is really cool, except the staff should be closer to the main beach camp and i imagine the arrow is somewhere in between the tail section and the main beach, otherwise the tailies would have walked around the entire island
February 15th, 2008 at 4:14 am
where are the seaside cliffs?
also, when the losties first found the cable leading to the underwater station early in the first season, im pretty sure they hadnt crossed the crater, as they would have seen desmonds boat.
February 15th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
The map is almost identical to the island of Oahu Hawaii. (where honolulu is) Which makes a lot of sense, because that is where the show is filmed. Diamond boat crater? Come on, that’s just Diamond Head by Waikiki beach. You want a map of the island? Just go to Google maps and look up Oahu in Hawaii.
February 26th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
the only thing wrong is that when Sayid left to find Rousseau he walked south according to the map, and he never walked through the crater on his way there.
March 21st, 2008 at 6:19 am
I like the way you set up the dharma station on a map and then show each one with a nice description. I aslo like the map.
Another map that details the island locations and attempts to replicte Rousseua’s map is located at
http://thelostmap.blogspot.com/
The cool thing about this map is that if you select the TREKS tab is it actually shows you how various groups jouneyed around the island.
March 22nd, 2008 at 12:47 am
Good point Aaron, “You’re forgetting that the Hydra animal research station is located on a smaller island a few miles from the main island where the Flight 815 survivors have been living. And is likely where the “Hostilesâ€? (as the Others are called by Dharma Initiative members), have gone in the absence of Ben’s leadership.”
Kristal Rosebrook
March 31st, 2008 at 6:41 am
How did you managed to make such realistic map of the island? I see no such sufficient information in the TV show for making it such detailed. I suppose you left some parts to your imagination?
May 7th, 2008 at 11:51 am
i agree with a few things people have noticed about the map.
some things dont add up.
also about the second island with the the hydra,
remember there was a boat needed to get off that little island.
i’m always looking for answers,
reading about the stations helped alot :)
November 25th, 2008 at 8:48 am
You need a picture of the Staff when Juliet and Sun go back. It looks much older, even abandoned and the nursery is just a rundown shell of when Claire was there. This gives credence to the time-warping theories?
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:00 am
This helped a great deal i’m a huge lost fan even though i haven’t watched it in a while. The problem i find right now is catching up with the programmes as i am now really confused!
Jamie
March 31st, 2009 at 5:19 pm
The map makes no sense if forinstance the losties had walked all that way to the flame they would have bi passed othersville first or at least seen it,they came from the south not the east therefore the flame should be at least a mile to the south,also the pearl should be closer to the swan hatch,not dead centre of the island,and the medical station is much to far away makes no sense that they would walk tis far and yet miss all the other stuff on the way yet discover it on a later day
Also the fake camp should be on the other side of the bay to the north with the staff nearer to henry gail,but time will tell
April 4th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
hi the station marked ??? is the orchid i work this out becuase its in a northwest direction from the beach camp nad also in seris 5 the time travel soya and the rest of the group see the full statue but its back mean its about there;
Hope this helps
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