most mysterious islands on earth
5 Most Mysterious Islands on Earth
Beautiful, strange, and even outright bizarre! In this Buzzle post, we list out some of the most mysterious islands on planet Earth.
Easter Island
Land on the Easter Island, and you will instantly be mesmerized by the sight of colossal sculptures, 14 feet tall, and weighing 14 tons on average. Known as the moai, these massive ancient sculptures have been carved out of volcanic rock. The origins and purpose of these sculptures however remain a mystery till date.
Easter Island is located midway between Chile and Tahiti. At the time of the creation of the moai, this island was inhabited by the Rapa Nui people. For years, archaeologists and visitors alike, have debated on the reasons why these ancient inhabitants of Easter Island decided to make the moai.
Some have theorized that, these human-like figures might have represented chiefs of the tribe. Other more fascinating explanations claim that, they may be a portrayal of ancient aliens who imparted wisdom to the Rapa Nui along with other old cultures of the world.
Strange as it may be, this alien theory is further strengthened by the fact that, not one, not two, but a total of 887 such giant statues litter this island. Many have opined that, it would have been simply impossible for the Rapa Nui to have created and transported so many statues that are so big in size. Now do you believe? No? Perhaps, you should go to Easter Island and check out the moai yourself.
Seychelles
The Seychelles is a group of 115 islands that are located in the Indian ocean, off the eastern coat of Africa. These islands are famous for their amazing wildlife, and at least half of the Seychelles are preserved as national parks. However, there is one more aspect of these islands which makes them special. They are home to the coco-de-mer (coconut of the sea), a giant plant which produces the world's largest seed and leaf.
Initial explorers were intrigued by the size of this plant and its unusually large seed which also has a distinct feminine shape. They were convinced that this plant was the one that led to Adam's fall, and therefore the island must have been where the Garden of Eden was.
Apart from the coco-de-mer, the Seychelles are also home to numerous exotic animal species, including the world's smallest frog, and heaviest land tortoise. Two locations―the Aldabra Atoll, four coral islands that are home to 600-pound tortoises, and the Valleé de Mai Nature Reserve, where one can find coco-de-mer trees―have been declared as World Heritage sites by UNESCO.
Inhabitants of these islands are descendants of African, European, Chinese, and Indian explorers. As such, the culture here is a diverse amalgamation of all these individual cultures. Thus, for its rich culture, exotic flora and fauna, and most of all for the coco-de-mer, and possibility of these islands being the location where the biblical Garden of Eden is, you should definitely pay the Seychelles a visit.
Surtsey Island
A trip to the Surtsey Island would be like traveling back in time, to a world untainted by human activity, and where life has only recently begun settling. This is because, it is a new-born island that is less than 50 years old.
Surtsey is at the southernmost point of Iceland, and did not exist prior to 1963. Then an under-sea volcano that has erupted, which reached the surface and began forming this island. The volcanic activity continued till 1967, at which point a 2.7 sq km piece of land was formed.
Since then, wave erosion has continually eroded the island, reducing its size, which as of 2002 was only 1.4 sq km. The island has been surveyed by scientists who have proclaimed it is unlikely to disappear completely until the near future.
Life in the form of microorganisms, insects, birds, plants, and even seals can now be seen on this newly formed island. It is certainly a wonderful place to study about the amazing way in which life must have taken root in the newly formed continents on the Earth.
The Island of the Dolls
Even if you do not suffer from Pediophobia (fear of dolls), the Island of the Dolls in Mexico is one creepy place to be at, especially when you take into account the thousands of dolls hanging from the trees over there. Still ain't scared? You will be, when you look at its spooky past!
This island was once the property of a local farmer by the name of Don Julián Santana. In 1950, he witnessed a little girl drown in a local canal whom he was unable to save. Later, he found a doll floating in the canal water, which he decided belonged to the girl. He picked it up and hung it on a tree to show his respect for the young girl's spirit.
However, he found out that the girl's ghost was now haunting the place. He was terrified and began hanging more dolls, which he would scavenge from trash heaps, on the trees in the island hoping to appease her spirit.
Over the next 50 years, Santana continued this practice and collected more than 1,500 dolls. In 2001, he died of a heart attack, and currently, his cousin Anastasio lives on the island, and runs it as a tourist attraction.
Anastasio proclaims that the spirit of that little girl still resides on this island, and so it is important that the hanging dolls aren't removed. He even notes that, at night, these dolls come to life, turn their heads, and whisper to one another. Who knows, perhaps they are talking about you!
The Isola La Gaiola
Off the coast of Naples, Italy, you'll find the scenic Isola La Gaiola, which actually comprises two small islands linked together by a bridge. This beautiful island has got that old Italian charm, complete with stone houses and cobblestone streets. Yet, if you were to call out 'ciao' (hello) here, you would hardly get an answer, as this pretty little island is completely deserted now, owing to the fact that it is believed to be cursed.
The history of this curse dates back to the 1920s, when this island belonged to a Swiss owner by the name of Hans Braun, who was found dead with his body wrapped in a rug. After a few months, his wife drowned in the waters surrounding this island.
The subsequent resident, a German named Otto Grunback, succumbed to a heart attack while residing in his villa. The next owner, Maurice-Yves Sandoz, who was a pharmaceutical industrialist, lost his sanity, and was institutionalized in a mental hospital in Switzerland. He later committed suicide.
Baron Karl Paul Langheim, a German steel magnate, ran into economic ruin when he owned the Isola La Gaiola. Gianni Agnelli, the head of Fiat, took charge of the island, following which his only son committed suicide. Multibillionaire Paul Getty's grandson was kidnapped after he purchased this island.
The island's last owner, Gianpasquale Grappone, was indicted on charges of insurance fraud, and was sent to prison in 2009. Since then, the Isola La Gaiola remains abandoned, with only some swimmers or adventurers who occasionally set foot on it. We recommend that you steer clear of this area!