15 Strangest Islands in the World

there are thought to be as many as 670 000 islands on the planet with each one having its own unique shape environment and history not all of them are what you'd expect though and there's a handful that stand out for how unusual they are join me for today's video as we look through the top 15 strangest islands on earth number 15 socotra island yemen around 240 miles to the south of the arabian peninsula is a little-known archipelago that's one of the most biodiverse regions in the world the largest island called sokotra is 82 miles in length and 31 miles across and it's part of the republic of yemen because of its unique geography it was cut off from the surrounding land masses many millions of years ago and this has allowed its animal and plant life to evolve completely independently it's on sakotra for example that you'll find the famous dragon's blood tree as well as looking like an umbrella it's known for producing a dark red sap it along with 300 other plant species on the island are classified as endemic which means they aren't naturally found anywhere else and the same can be said for a large number of birds reptiles such as skinks and chameleons crabs and spiders like the blue baboon tarantula it is such a special place that the island was recognized as a unesco world heritage site in 2008 and the hope is that human development will be limited there in an attempt to protect its uniqueness for generations to come number 14 bouvet island norway lying approximately 1100 miles to the north of queen modland in antarctica 1600 miles to the south-southwest of africa and 1200 miles to the east of the south sandwich islands louvain island is often said to be the most remote island on the planet despite being deep within the south atlantic ocean the volcanic island was claimed by norway in 1927 and because no other closer nation had any interest in it it was declared a dependency in 1930 covering an area of about 19 square miles it's a place that's coated by ice virtually all year round so as a result the only non-animal life that thrives there are several species of fungi it is however home to large colonies of seals and a number of bird species and this led to it being designated a protected nature reserve in 1971. 93 of the island is covered in glaciers and they're so thick that they give the island a dome-shaped appearance with no permanent population visits to the island are strictly limited and even if you did get a permit you'd have to overcome the harsh climate steep coast and high seas to attempt a landing number 13 vulcan point the philippines volcanoes are some of the most powerful natural events that happen on our planet and their ability to create and destroy landscapes can result in the development of some rather unusual geographical features an island known as vulcan point is one of the best examples of this and thousands of years of volcanic activity have made this rocky outcrop truly unique with 33 known eruptions many of which have been in recent decades the tao volcano is the second most active volcano in the philippines and can be found on luzon island at the center of the island is a lake and the volcanoes within this lake at the peak of the volcano there's a basin that's filled with melt water to form the world's largest crater lake and it's within this water that the small island of vulcan point is located which is the tip of one of the volcano cones this means that vulcan point is the only place in the world where you'll find an island within a lake that's within another island that itself is within a lake that's on an island in an archipelago in the pacific ocean this is something known as a third order island and that alone has meant that vulcan point has become a surprisingly popular tourist destination number 12. farrell senegal located in the atlantic ocean just off the coast of senegal is faded island and it's one of the strangest islands you could ever visit as soon as you begin walking on the ground you'll hear a disconcerting crunching beneath your feet and this is the first sign that something unusual is going on here that's because rather than being made up of sand or volcanic rock this entire island has been formed by the accumulation of layer upon layer of millions of shells that have been discarded over generations by clam fishermen streets paved with shells and buildings that have been constructed from shells and concrete faraut has a population of around 46 000 people there's also a second shell island that's connected to it that serves as the community cemetery those that live in the village keep to their traditional roots with the whole economy relying on the fishing industry but because of how unusual the place is it's also now become a tourist destination with people traveling from around the world to see it for themselves number 11 sable island nova scotia situated in the north atlantic ocean around 190 miles to the southeast of halifax in nova scotia is sable island a small crescent-shaped sandbar that covers an area of just 12 square miles as it is one of the natural routes to sail into canada from the atlantic it was one of the first land masses to be encountered by european explorers in the 16th century and it's also home to an estimated 350 shipwrecks from over the centuries that fell victim to the hidden sandbars thick fog and powerful currents this became such a problem since the early 1800s that rescue stations were built on the island to support any vessels that encountered difficulties and the island's been permanently inhabited ever since even to this day when there's always at least three government employees present there to assist with research projects and tourism the island is now classified as a national park to protect it and the surrounding waters from mining and what's unusual about it is that it's home to around 500 feral horses the animals were first intentionally released in the late 1700s but soon learned to fend for themselves and as they're now seen as genetically unique their status on the island has been legally protected number 10 clipperton island pacific ocean the simply stunning clipperton island is a french-administered coral atoll that's in the pacific ocean lying around 580 miles from the western coast of mexico and 2 900 miles from the island of tahiti it's an astonishing 6 600 miles from paris where it's ruled from there has of course been disputes between france and mexico about who should control the atoll and the agreement was reached through arbitration in 1931 that's a case study about international law that's still often studied to this day there aren't actually any permanent residence on the island and its name comes from an english pirate who's believed to have used it as his base of operations while attacking the spanish fleet it was inhabited for a time but was officially evacuated in 1917 but there have been occasional residents since then mainly survivors of shipwrecks who have managed to make their way there to escape the ocean it's also become somewhat of a curiosity for amateur radio groups because of its remoteness and occasionally sees expeditions landing there to see how many people can make contact from the glorious sandy shores number nine big major key bahamas when you think of the bahamas you probably imagine wonderful sandy beaches perfectly blue water and a range of wildlife but there's one island where things are a little different big major key is a part of the exuma district of the country currently has no human inhabitants what it does have though is a population of around 60 feral pigs and the sight of them walking through the sand and swimming in the ocean has made pig beach an increasingly popular destination quite how this situation arose is and entirely clear but it's generally believed that the pigs were originally left on the island by a group of sailors who plan to return later to eat them for some reason they never went back and the pigs were able to breed and survive on scraps of food that washed ashore and the three natural springs on the island it's also possible that they were the only survivors of a nearby shipwreck or they were part of a scheme to attract tourists to this little visited part of the bahamas whatever the case the result has been a widely photographed and videoed place and what surely is one of the most unusual tropical islands you'll ever have the chance to see number eight gaiula island italy the islands around italy are some of the most glorious you'll find in the mediterranean but there's one that's not so much known for its beauty and is more known for a supposed curse that affects anyone who visits it's called gaiola island and it's in the gulf of naples which is just offshore from the city of naples it's situated at the center of a protected marine reserve that's been used by humans for hundreds of years by the 1600s this rocky outcrop was covered with roman factories and was later transformed to house the main defense structures in the bay of naples but in the early 1800s it became home to a hermit called the wizard who was able to survive there because of the generous donations by local fishers the villa that stands there today was built in the late 19th century and it's there that the mysterious events began through the 20th century there have been a number of tales of mysterious deaths of the owners who visited them so much so that after the last private owner was jailed in the early 2000s the island's been owned by the local government with strict rules about who was allowed to enter and venture there number seven isla uros peru the uru are an indigenous people from peru and bolivia who have become famed around the world because of their novel approach to where they live they originated at a time when the region was rife with wars between different vested interests and they decided that their main city needed to be somewhere that they could easily defend and even relocate if needed this led to the idea of building on lake titicaca and developed an ingenious method of building boats from dried reeds and then combining these to form an island today there are around 120 of these islands on the lake which range in size from some that are large enough to house up to 10 families to smaller ones for one or two families the uru relied upon fishing to provide their food and support their society and while this is still an important part of everyday life their economy is now much more reliant on tourism with visitors fascinated by the idea of living on manmade islands if anything we could probably all do quite well by taking inspiration from the isla uros on how it's possible to adapt nature to our needs without severely damaging it at the same time number six okunoshima island japan japan is made up of almost 7 000 islands and there are hundreds that could probably lay claim to being extremely strange and unusual one that's definitely up there though is okunoshima island which is part of the city of takahara and lies in the inland sea of japan it has quite a storied history and was originally covered with farmland until the russo-japanese war in the early 20th century when 10 forts were built there as defensive measures this began its military association and after hearing about research being carried out around the world it became home to japan's first chemical weapons research center in 1927. at the time it was kept secret because of the risk it breached international law and it was there that japanese forces produced an estimated six kilotons of mustard gas and tear gas a lot of which would be used in china during the second world war the factory was closed following the war with all remaining stockpiles destroyed and parts now have been converted into a museum with the rest becoming derelict that's not the strangest thing about the island though because in an attempt to turn it back into parkland after the war a number of rabbits were released they've now bred to such unbelievable numbers that you can hardly go anywhere on the island without seeing one and if they ever get a hint that you have food on you you'll soon be surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of them number five palm islands dubai thanks to its rich oil resources dubai has embarked upon an unprecedented level of development in the past few decades and arguably one of the most ambitious projects of them all were the palm islands announced in the early 2000s there are a series of three entirely man-made islands that are off the coast of the city and were completed by 2007. the first to be built was palm jumeirah which resembles a palm tree within a circle and it's home to a number of private residences and at least 28 luxury hotels palm jebalali is a larger version of palm jumeirah it's yet to be fully completed because of financial difficulties from the 2007-8 financial crisis and the same happened with the third palm island known as the dera islands despite the financial difficulties though the construction of the island involved moving hundreds of tons of limestone and vast quantities of sand and rock which has changed the coastline forever initial concerns of the environmental impact have unfortunately been proven correct as they've had a noticeable effect on wildlife behavior and coastal erosion with aquatic life being particularly harmed while the idea of artificial islands is increasing in popularity thanks to improved technology and construction methods the palm islands are generally seen as a warning of the damage that can be caused if they aren't planned and built with the environment in mind number four deer island new york the saint lawrence river which runs from lake ontario along the border between the united states and canada is home to a huge archipelago that's made up of 1800 islands known as the thousand islands there's one that's particularly mysterious and strange called deer island it's in the town of alexandria and is near alexandria bay new york and is mostly covered in pine trees black oak and sugar maple it has though been inhabited for centuries so there's a number of ruins scattered throughout but the most intriguing structure is the house that can be seen on the shoreline but this is no ordinary residence that's because the entire 40 acre site is owned by the skull and bones which is a senior secret student society from yale university it's operated as a retreat with sports facilities and a fishing lake and is a private meeting place for members of the society the skull and bones also known as the order has been linked with a number of conspiracy theories such as involvement with the illuminati and being so historic that they exert control over all the major institutions in the united states and if any of this is to be believed then it's likely that the privacy of dear island provides the opportune place for these decisions and shady deals to be made only members of the society know the truth and whether deer island is truly this secret place where rare food is served and world-changing deals are struck or this is all simply rumor and has no basis in fact number three island of the dolls mexico the island of the dolls is probably the creepiest island in the world thanks to a dark history that's led to a number of unusual trinkets being displayed in the trees and buildings it's to the south of mexico city in the waterways of xochimilco and was owned by don julian santana in the 1950s according to the legend a young woman was visiting the island and while swimming in the canal she became entangled in the lilies and drowned her body was found on the banks of the island and santana began experiencing supernatural events he kept hearing a voice calling out for her dolls so we began to collect dolls from garbage patches that floated past in the water and hung them on the branches of the trees around where she was discovered over the next 50 years he continued to do this driven by fear that he was being haunted by her spirit and resulted in hundreds of body parts and shrines being displayed across the island he died in 2001 supposedly at the same site where the girl had died 50 years earlier since then the place has become a popular tourist destination people visit with their own tributes for the island and it continues to grow each year visitors describe an eerie silence around certain parts feel chills and even hear voices which adds to the creepiness of the place and it solidified it as being one of the most unusual looking islands on earth number two snake island brazil 21 miles off the coast of brazil is ilha de camara grande which from a distance may seem like any other island but this is one of the most dangerous places in the world for humans to set foot on and it's more commonly known by the name snake island that's because on the 110 acre land mass there's thought to be as many as 4 000 golden lancehead vipers and it's the only place in the world where they roam free this species is particularly deadly their venom is hemotoxic which means that it dissolves flesh and tissue to make it easier for the snake to swallow and can lead to swelling and nausea vomiting brain hemorrhaging and death for any human unfortunate enough to be bitten golden lanceheads have evolved separately to the lancehead species of the mainland which account for 90 of all snake bites in brazil but the ones on snake island have venom that's up to five times as potent meaning death is far more likely the snakes survive here because of the large bird populations which provide them with ample food but their overall small numbers means they're classified as being critically endangered particularly as there's a risk of inbreeding unsurprisingly traveling to snake island is strictly controlled with only researchers and navy officials able to gain access this hasn't always been the case though there was a small human population on the island until the 1920s who were there to maintain the lighthouse which worn ships away legend has it that the lighthouse was finally automated after the keeper and his family were killed by the snakes after they slid in through the windows number one palmyra atoll lying virtually in the center of the pacific ocean the palmyra atoll is around 3 300 miles to the southwest of mainland united states and the same distance to the northeast of new zealand with a land mass of around 4.6 square miles it's a territory of the united states but has no residence it's overseen by the u.s fish and wildlife service it's part of the pacific remote islands marine national monument which is the largest protected marine area in the world and it's hardly been affected by human development it is a pristine island paradise it's surrounded by a rich coral reef with more than 150 different species and has one of the largest shelf reefs to have ever been discovered although it's rare that you'd be able to see this because of its remoteness and their restrictions on who can travel there surprisingly because of its position so far away from anywhere else the palmyra atoll has been involved in a number of events and controversies since it was first spotted by an american sealing ship in 1798 it's believed for example to be the possible hiding place of the legendary esperanza treasure which was a spanish ship that was looted by pirates and sank after a storm the pirates are said to have encountered difficulties too though and were forced to leave the treasure there but were unable to retrieve it this story has led to a number of people traveling there to try to uncover the secret for themselves and most famously was linked with a mysterious double murder that took place there in 1974 a couple had visited the atoll on their yacht the sea wind supposedly in search of the lost treasure but when another couple returned on the yacht it soon transpired that the original owners had died on the beach quite what happened to them is still not known despite someone being convicted of the crime but it suggests that there's still far more to learn about the palmyra atoll and plenty of secrets to uncover watch our binge watching playlist if you'd like to watch all of our most popular top 15 videos grab a drink grab a snack and get ready to binge you

Channel: Top Fives

Views: 1,654,596

Keywords: Strangest Islands, Island, Islands

Id: rCQoFsOGgZQ

Length: 19min 42sec (1182 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 31 2022