Jules Verne would have called it the «Island at the end of the world.» However, we do not know whether or not the famous writer of the most sublime fantasies got to know this hidden setting in the South Atlantic, but if he had, we are sure that his mind would have dreamed up a thousand stories staged in this incredible place.
The island of Bouvet sighs in its unfathomable distance, between gray waters, cold breaths, and the sudden echo of some whale that borders its shores of the Norwegian dependencies. We are, as you can imagine, in what is considered the most remote island on Earthand today we want to talk to you about it.
We assure you that the trip will be worth it.
The icy island that emerged from the heat of the Earth
There is evidence of the existence of this unique island since January 1, 1739, when a French expedition passed through there by chance. Its existence was recorded but not its exact location, in such a way that When Captain Cook passed through the area following that indication 40 years later, he found nothing..
Thus, for a long time it was thought that what they had seen in 1739 was nothing more than an iceberg. However, that was a route very frequented by whalers, so with the passage of time the area was better mapped, until, in 1964, For the first time, a small and distant corner of land suspended in the sea was flown over by helicopter.
It was a British commander, Allan Crawford, who passed over it and was surprised by two things. The first was the island itself. To get an exact idea of its location we will tell you that It is located about 1600 km from the Antarctic continentand in a south/southwest direction from the Cape of Good Hope, in South Africa.
Seeing it from above, and especially by helicopter, already represents an important visual impact. It is covered in ice, except for that central crater where an inactive volcano rises, and those black sand beaches that outline a unique oval shape.
The second aspect that left the British commander breathless was somewhat disconcerting. We are, as we have already pointed out, on the most remote island on earth. Only large whaling ships or military ships from Norway pass through this coldest area of the South Atlantic, who in 1927 claimed the island after having had a small dispute with the United Kingdom.
What Commander Crawford discovered was that the island «had grown» a new piece of land. This is not unusual, since it is a volcanic island that is constantly changing. However, What was not normal is that on that new islet there was a boat, a simple lifeboat. She landed for a few minutes, long enough to discover that there was no one there, that the small ship carried its oars and even supplies, but nothing that she could identify where she came from.
It was thought that perhaps an expedition had passed through there, a ship that sent a team with a smaller boat to go to the island, but there was no evidence that any ship or other vessel had passed through there. There were also no signs of any camping activity. or other type of human activity typical of hunters, explorers, or environmental reserve organizations. Nothing. Not even a body or injured or lost people…
Where from, and how would that person have left with the boat to get to Bouvet Island? The Norwegian government was never able to reveal this enigma, because the most curious thing was that when a few days later they returned with the helicopter to fly over the area, they were surprised to discover that the boat had disappeared.
Did the mystery of Bouvet Island end here? Absolutely. A few years later, satellites captured some breathtaking images in this area. sparkles, very intense flashes that came out between Bouvet Island and the Prince Edward Islands. For many scientists, those were nuclear explosions, as if someone were carrying out some kind of test at sea.
To this day, neither of these two mysteries have been solved. There is no shortage of those who, following the conspiratorial ideas so propitious in this context, He suspects that the CIA and other organizations were carrying out various experiments in this part of the world.
Fortunately, today, the island of Bouvet is protected and a nature reserve… At least we believe so and we hope so. Although maybe your isolation is all a temptation for some minds and world powers. Who knows.
And remember, if you liked this article, also discover the mystery behind another incredible and strange island: Sandy Island.