Exploring Pitcairn Island by Drone

[Music] [Music] in the great expanse of the Pacific Ocean there is a place like no other Pitcairn Island home to the descendants of the mutineers of his Majesty's armed vessel the bounty during this first round the island documentary by drone we will visit remote locations rarely seen even by the Pitcairn Island errs we will visit historic places such as the petroglyph sat down rope in the gods the majesty of st. Paul's pool and spires and enter the cave at gudgeon - its submerged entrance the cave boasts a magnificent white sand beach deep inside the island [Music] ahead is bounty bay later we will go underwater and visit the wreck of the bounty there is excitement in the air as the cargo-ship claim r2 has just arrived bringing long-awaited mail and supplies she visits four times a year carrying up to 12 passengers so that a maximum of 48 people can visit in one year this is the earliest known photograph taken at the landing in 1890 and in 1928 today is a very calm day some days it is so rough the waves break over the jetty making leaving our landing impossible ships have left disappointed because the passengers could not get ashore in the days before motors the Islanders struggle growing out through the surf to fish and to visit passing ships [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] by [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] I have a vivid memory of a past trip we arrived late at night I was picked up by the Longboat and we powered through the breaking waves into the landing through a thunderous surf and total darkness it was an experience I will never forget [Music] [Music] the Pitcairn Island errs look forward to visitors they will get to catch up with current events from the outside world and to make new friends [Music] [Applause] [Music] for well over a hundred years the only way to get the longboats up and down the ramp was by human power [Music] our first stop on this trip around the island is the iconic pointed Rock known as old man we are over the spot where the bounty rests after being burned by the mutineers on the 23rd of January 1790 [Music] [Music] no one knows how old man got its name the name old fan has been used as far back as anyone can remember the red soil and rock on Pitcairn is due to the high iron content so you can say the island is rusting away [Music] the two rocks just offshore are known as the stones next we move on to Adams Rock with its lone coconut tree how it took root and grew on this spot is truly amazing the white substance on top of the rock is guano or otherwise known as bird poop next up is the gods the area of hardened gray volcanic ash that stands out from the red soil and rocks of Pitcairn Island here is another example of the many different layers of Pitcairn we see the gray volcanic ash in the middle surrounded by lava with traces of yellow sulfur and red iron on the right the climb down the sheer cliff to the gods is definitely not for the faint-hearted even a few Pitcairn heirs have dared not venture here this area is named after these two ancient petroglyphs which are believed to be of early Polynesian gods the lines and dots are thought to be a form of a calendar you can see from the ominous climb back up life you visit the site [Music] yes that's me on top of the rock to get here you must hike down the far valley through the bush then travel along the shore of sharp lava to get to this secluded spot ahead is st. Paul's pool with this majestic spires st. Paul's pool is a place you will never forget there's nestled on the eastern side of the island and is a must-see place filled with crystal-clear water lobster and fish this is where many learned to swim going back to the days of the bounty in the 1950s and 60s the Pitcairn Island errs on Saturday afternoons after church would come here to have a picnic and swim in the pool even on a calm day you can see the waves pile up and come crashing through this mine [Music] st. Paul school is the most photographed place on Pitcairn it is easy to see why [Music] the big scoop out of the side of the island ahead is known as down road it is home to Pitcairn Islands only Beach the only way down to the beach is to climb down a treacherous cliff you start at the far right and make your way down to the bay on the left we are now about half way down the last half is the easiest or is it [Music] the numerous plastic fishing floats that have washed up here over the years littered the beach some are hanging like ornaments on the trees the black spot ahead contain the famous petroglyphs of down road they are believed to be about 1500 years old and have not yet been deciphered [Music] [Music] this cliff on the westside of down rope is a very colorful place with the strong yellows and reds and countless small caves that are wonderful haven for nesting birds [Music] as we head out to sea I cannot help but to think that this was the very first sight the early Polynesians saw [Music] [Music] the area of green on the sloping hill ahead of us I jokingly referred to as the golf course because there are so little flat land on the island the heavily wooded area by the coast is known as tau Tama this is one of the largest known Polynesian factories of stone tools in the South Pacific that was used until the 17th century like most places on Pitcairn Tama is very difficult to get to Brenda is my guide with Isabelle on her back once you arrive you will find fragments of work stone that littered the area these are a few examples of primitive stone tools found around toh Tama [Music] highest point is our next stop [Music] yes that's me again you can see how isolated Pitcairn Island really is we are in between Easter Island in Tahiti and they're both over 2,000 kilometers away [Music] on march 2015 that Pitcairn Island Marine Reserve was formed it is now the largest marine reserve in the world consisting of three hundred and twenty-two thousand square miles of pristine waters largely unaffected by human activity a mother and 1 week old humpback whale wintering in the safety of Pitcairn Island they can be found here in July August and September [Music] [Music] we are now going to enter the least visited place on Pitcairn Island gudgeon cave the only way in is through this tiny opening inside there's a beautiful wall-to-wall white sand beach the cave is quite high about 70 feet to the ceiling the trip out has to be timed perfectly within the troughs of the leis so the boat does not get crushed on the jagged ceiling of the cave [Music] Randy Kristian was our hero today this is a good example of pet care shoreline with its lava rock and tide pools filled with octopus crabs and fish [Music] [Applause] [Music] here is the new harbor that has just been constructed on the south side of the island now people can get ashore when it is too rough to land in bounty Bay on the north side [Music] you can see the natural deepwater channel that leads to the new dock [Music] meet Mrs T the last surviving galapagos tortoise of the five that were brought to Pitcairn Island between 1937 and 1951 on the Brigantine Yankee mrs. T spends most of her days at Ted side on the south side of the island foraging for food we are now on the northwest side of the island and the rock closest to Pitcairn is known as Matt's Rock named by or for Matty quintal the other is known as Young's rock named after Edward young both were seamen and mutineers on the bounty with no radio interference the drone was able to go almost 5 miles offshore and three-quarters of a mile high to get these shots notice the whale spouting near the bottom right it is the same mother and calf we saw earlier we are back on the North Shore heading for Christian Spain the most recognizable landmark on Pitcairn Island [Music] in front of us is a rock known as banging iron where the Forge from the bounty was set up protected by this massive rock banging iron got its name because the folks in town could hear the men forging steel are banging iron to make nails and tools the hot fire from the forge produced these vivid colors that are still visible almost 230 years later could it be that this rock was once the plug for Christians cave the shape is very similar and it is directly below the cave Fletcher Christian was said to have taken refuge in this cave during the conflict on the island that took the lives of all the mutineers and t-sh and men with the exception of John Adams when the ship topaz arrived on Pitcairn Island in 1808 John Adams was the only adult male left alive on the island along with all the Tahitian women and children this was 18 years after the bounty landed on the island [Music] the Norfolk pine that sits on top of gannets Ridge was recently hit by lightning what it looked like before the lightning strike [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] below us as the school and teachers residence that were built in 1951 [Music] [Music] we are approaching Jackie Kristen's house where I will be joining Lesley Paul and Sue for dinner [Music] fun and games with Paul and Sue the smart drone would not let them catch it [Music] now for a tasty New Zealand lamb dinner Tom and Betty Christians home is on the right and Jackie's is on the left [Music] in the center of the three buildings is a group of rocks this was the foundation of Thursday October Christians house who was the grandson of Fletcher Christian the earliest known photograph of Thursday October Christian was taken in 1898 notice his large hands and his feet that probably never wore shoes this is his home in 1899 1938 and 1962 now let's visit the historic Island Cemetery where generations of bounty descendants rest [Music] I will never forget my good friends meet NOLA Warren standing beside the grave of her husband Reynold who recently passed away [Music] Tom Christian to whom I had the privilege of staying with on my first trip to Pitcairn [Music] ferma christian who had a delightful sense of humor [Music] this is the oldest home on the island belonging to Reynold and NOLA it is currently uninhabited and will soon be reclaimed by Nature [Music] a bird's eye view of Adams town [Music] the cemetery is at the top left the town square is the large building in the center with a green roof of the church on its right the red roof of the museum is right below the square [Music] we are now going to visit the home of Paul and Sue [Music] meet pirate Paul and Buccaneer sue Andrew Christian myself and Paul Warren their home is quite large and comfortable if you can't find Paul just look in his workshop where he spends most of the day [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Paul and I on the Bounty's anchor which was recovered by the Yankee in 1957 [Music] these artifacts were recovered from the bounty [Music] the rarest material is of course wood and this is the Bounty's Bible they say I look like John Adams these are recovered ballast bars from the bounty palace Bazar the only visible remnants of the ship on the ocean floor today the home of Randy and Nadine Christian meet Emily Nadine Bradley and Adriana Christian [Music] Bradlee Emily and Ryan posing for a picture [Music] there is no surf break on Pitcairn so the alternative is barefoot surfing on lava [Music] [Music] [Music] Andrew Christians home is the highest home on the island [Music] it is never dull at Andrews place he makes mouth-watering pizza it is a wonderful place for song and dance and a great time [Music] the island store you can see the foundation of the new store starting to take shape around it [Music] venture past this point at your own risk I think this is an invitation for a challenge this is the top of the rock known as ship landing point the bounty lies just offshore below us the rock at the end is known as the nose [Music] as you can see it's days are numbered as it is separating from the hill the climb to the top is harrowing knowing it could break off at any time [Music] [Music] looking back from the nose [Music] after tiptoeing out to the edge I captured this incredible image and this one a couple of days later after a heavy rain [Music] one happy guy [Music] we can see there waits over the way everybody seems [Music] me [Music] [Music] [Applause] goodbye to all [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Tony Probst

Views: 197,591

Rating: 4.883173 out of 5

Keywords: Tony Probst, Pitcairn Island, Drone, Humpback Whales, Bounty Bay, Ship Landing Point, Gudgeon Cave, Christians cave, The Gods, St Pauls Pool, HMAV Bounty, HMS Bounty, First Drone flight, Captain Bligh, Fletcher Christian, Galapagos tortoise, Polynesian stone tools, Aerial view of pitcairn island, South Pacific, Best Pitcairn Video, Mavic Pro, DJI, Mutiny on the Bounty, Best place to visit in the South Pacific, Photography, Documentary, Diving, Easter Island, drone

Id: _x2d_sJUAic

Length: 36min 8sec (2168 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 17 2018