- 5 months ago
Pack your sense of adventure and leave civilization behind! Join us as we explore the planet's most remote and mysterious locations that remain largely untouched by human exploration. From hidden caves deep beneath the earth to isolated islands surrounded by treacherous waters, these places continue to hold secrets waiting to be discovered by brave explorers and scientists.
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00:00It rises like a fortress, with cliffs hundreds of meters high, guarding an otherworldly landscape.
00:08Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the areas in the world we've delved into the least.
00:14We've seen three snakes so far, which isn't a lot, but it is early in the morning, it's hot.
00:19I'm sure there's hundreds around us right now.
00:23Number 50, Bouvet Island, South Atlantic.
00:26The fact that it took nearly 250 years to get a good image tells you a lot.
00:31First seen in 1739, Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic has been a constant source of intrigue.
00:36The island is less than 20 square miles, and rests on top of an inactive volcano.
00:41It's also mostly covered by a large glacier, which has made it hard to fully explore.
00:46As if that wasn't enough, there's only one simple point of access on the entire island,
00:50and there's only one spot wide enough for an aircraft to properly land.
00:54While a weather station resides there today, the only thing we've truly been able to learn about
00:59is its climate, leaving the rest of the isle's secrets unexplored.
01:03Number 49, Franz Josef Land, Arctic.
01:06Global conflicts can play a large role in how much an area is observed.
01:10Franz Josef Land was first discovered in the 19th century, and since then,
01:14only a few of the Arctic's 192 islands have been looked into.
01:18Franz Josef Land, the most northerly archipelago in the entire world.
01:22A few expeditions took place shortly afterwards, but everything changed following the beginning of the Cold War.
01:28It became a base for the Soviet Union, and until the 1990s, outside contact was heavily limited.
01:34Franz Josef Land itself has this compelling story.
01:37It's a place where the biological diversity is not that high.
01:41Even today, it's still a militarized zone, and civilian-led visits have dwindled significantly.
01:47A new isle in the archipelago was found in 2019, uncovering yet another mystery for us to decode.
01:54Up here is a true wilderness, where I can experience a sense of freedom, a sense of dreams and possibilities.
02:01Number 48, Kerguelen Islands, Sub-Antarctic.
02:04On the 6th of January, 1774, man finally set foot on this beach, which had remained inviolate since the beginning of time.
02:11With how connected we are today, it feels impossible that any stretch of land can be truly isolated.
02:17Yet that's exactly the case for the Kerguelen Islands, also known as the Desolation Islands.
02:22The nearest inhabited area is some 2,000 miles away, which is only one of the factors making it so hard to learn more about these islands.
02:29These vast, empty spaces seem never to have known a living presence.
02:33The sea surrounding Kerguelen is incredibly rough, and the weather is consistently harsh.
02:39Both of these make the idea of exploration unappealing to most people.
02:42Even with scientists and researchers there around the clock, there's still much left to be learned about and investigated.
02:49A group of scientists make up the small community, and are the island's only residents.
02:54Number 47, Nunavut, Canada.
02:56It's sometimes easy to forget just how large Canada is, and how much of it has yet to be fully delved into.
03:03The northernmost area, Nunavut, has an incredibly sparse population compared to its vast size.
03:08Its proximity to the Arctic has resulted in constant frigid temperatures, causing the few people who do live there to primarily remain in the few metropolitan areas.
03:17Much like other areas located near the poles, there are often 24-hour-long days and nights.
03:22The unforgiving weather combined with the sheer size has made it impossible to fully research it.
03:27There's no telling how much animal life, flora, and other aspects of nature we have left to learn about there.
03:33Or if we'll ever be able to.
03:35Number 46, Meikalia Caves, India.
03:38A location doesn't have to be entirely unpopulated for it to be considered unexplored.
03:43Deep within India are the caves of Meikalia, which are some of the longest in the entire world.
03:48Their seemingly unending lengths have made them a popular spot for brave tourists and researchers alike.
03:53Now exploring a cave is a thrilling experience, because you're going into the unknown.
03:58Yet out of the 1,580 caves currently discovered, less than 1,000 of them have been properly traversed.
04:05With the longest coming in at just over 100,000 feet, there's no telling how many artifacts, life forms, and other valuable resources are tucked away within their walls.
04:14It's extremely exhilarating to step into unknown territory.
04:19Number 45, Plutonian at Hierapolis, Turkey.
04:22The Plutonian at Hierapolis in modern-day Turkey was once a religious site where countless animal sacrifices took place.
04:28And that's not even the craziest part.
04:30It was constructed on top of a cave that emits a deadly gas, killing both their offerings and some people that dared to get close.
04:36It was destroyed in 6 AD by an earthquake, and now all that remains are the ruins of the once-formidable building.
04:43Even in the modern era, the fumes pose a risk to the surrounding animal populations.
04:47Due to this, researchers still can't safely go in and observe it, leaving it just outside our grasp.
04:53Number 44, The Padmanabhaswamy Temple, India.
04:56While most unexplored areas achieve that status by being hard to access, others get it by being prohibited altogether.
05:02India's Padmanabhaswamy Temple is also home to countless amounts of jewels, gold, and other valuable items.
05:08For the most part, it's open to the public, save for one chamber.
05:12Vault B is believed to have not been opened since the 1880s due to the religious beliefs of those running the temple,
05:19with many believing it would be a bad omen.
05:21They were decorated with cobras. This is a sign of danger.
05:24Despite several attempts to legally force them into opening the doors, each one has fallen flat.
05:29With all of the extravagant treasures found throughout it, we can only imagine what riches and artifacts lay inside, completely untouched.
05:36People do not dare to open it. It could cause many ugly consequences.
05:42Number 43, The Wilkes Land Crater, Antarctica.
05:46Even though it could give us a glimpse into one of the most earth-shattering moments in history,
05:50we still can't get quite close enough to find out.
05:53Buried deep underneath an ice cap in Antarctica is an alleged impact site for an occurrence that may have led to an extinction-level event.
06:00It being buried so deep beneath the ice has made it exceptionally difficult to actually research.
06:05The deep, icy burial also resulted in a complete lack of any viable samples to test,
06:10making it difficult for any idea to ever make it past the hypothesis stage.
06:14Number 42, Bir Tawil, Egypt and Sudan.
06:17The circumstances surrounding this one piece of land accurately sum up how complicated some disputes can be.
06:23Located between Sudan and Egypt, Bir Tawil is a stretch of desert completely unowned by either country.
06:29A boundary determination in 1899 places the land in Sudan.
06:33This is the boundary Egypt recognizes.
06:36It's 2,060 square kilometers, which is roughly the size of Kuwait.
06:39However, a later one in 1902 places Bir Tawil in Egypt, and this is the one Sudan acknowledges.
06:47As a result, Bir Tawil has no inhabitants or official leaders.
06:51While some have come to research or attempt to claim the land as their own, the findings have been slim.
06:56It's been claimed by several people over the years, including a Russian and an American.
07:00It doesn't help that the temperature easily hits over 100 degrees most days,
07:05making chances of any actual exploration a risk.
07:08Number 41, La Ciudad Blanca, Honduras.
07:11Some places are so obscure that some people can't help but wonder if they really exist.
07:16Hernán Cortés relayed word-of-mouth reports of La Ciudad Blanca's existence in the 1500s,
07:21and in 1940, an explorer claimed to have brought back proof of it in Honduras.
07:26A white city where people long dead had lived their mysterious lives.
07:30Though the evidence for its existence is still definitely shaky,
07:34many potential sites were documented throughout the 20th century.
07:37There are all these rumors about seeing the ramparts of a ruined city.
07:42There's even a supposed temple and tribute dedicated to a monkey deity that may have been worshipped back in the day.
07:48Even with all the activity, a large part of the overall region hasn't even been touched.
07:52Once it's been explored, we'll have invaluable insight into one of the most elusive ancient cultures.
07:58Wow, this is awesome.
07:59Number 40, Actun Tunichilmucnal, Belize.
08:02Just because it's possible to visit a location doesn't mean it's the best idea to do so.
08:07Ladened with various archaeological findings, including the skeleton of a supposed sacrifice victim,
08:13Actun Tunichilmucnal is a truly significant cave in Belize.
08:16There are portals to the underworld where important gods resided.
08:21Tourists are welcome to delve inside, but doing so can be dangerous.
08:25Besides being several miles long, the only exit at the end involves pushing yourself
08:30through a tight squeeze into a large sinkhole within the jungle.
08:33Wow, this is a massive cave.
08:36As if that wasn't perilous enough, it's also prone to flooding thanks to the amount of rainfall received in the area.
08:42These conditions have made it hard to look into every nook and cranny of the cave,
08:45meaning there could be even more valuable artifacts tucked away.
08:48Well, you can really see why this was the entrance to hell, huh?
08:52That's right.
08:53Number 39.
08:55Territory of Heard Island and MacDonald Islands.
08:57Indian Ocean.
08:58Some 280 miles from the aforementioned Kergenen Islands,
09:02there are some of the most isolated places in the entire world.
09:05Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean and cut off from civilization,
09:09they each have an active volcano residing on top of them.
09:12As if that wasn't scary enough, they've both erupted multiple times, some in recent years.
09:18A lack of any ports has also made it difficult to properly look into,
09:21with all ships having to stop and anchor themselves several miles off the coast.
09:25There's so much to properly observe, from the glacier recession to the surprising amount of species that managed to thrive here.
09:31We can only hope the volcanoes remain dormant enough for us to get a closer look.
09:35Number 38.
09:36Merry Birdland.
09:37Antarctica.
09:37Forget having a star named after you.
09:40Having a large stretch of land dedicated to you is a true sign of love.
09:44In 1902, American officer Richard E. Bird happened to come across an unclaimed and unrecorded territory of Antarctica,
09:50which he eventually named after his wife.
09:52He led some initial expeditions of the area throughout the 20th century,
09:56but he only scratched the surface of the 620,000 square mile stretch of land.
10:00As a result, several research camps have been set up there, each with the goal of learning more about the mysterious region.
10:07With several recorded mountains and a plethora of fascinating glaciers,
10:10there's no telling what other natural marvels are just waiting to be discovered.
10:14Number 37.
10:15Mount Roryma.
10:16South America.
10:17Roryma or Rorymu means bluish green.
10:21Since the very first expedition in 1838,
10:24Mount Roryma in South America has been a spectacle to locals and tourists alike.
10:29The walls are incredibly steep, requiring the use of ropes and tools to successfully scale it.
10:35Three countries, Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil, lay claim to parts of this immense formation.
10:41It also takes several days to fully climb,
10:44and participants are required to spend a night at the base,
10:47showing how formidable and long both the journey and exploration process are.
10:51The plant and animal life in particular is heavily under-researched,
10:54thanks to a combination of new species being discovered each year,
10:57and expeditions starting so recently.
11:00Soon, we may have all the answers we've been looking for,
11:03but until then, they're just outside our grasp.
11:06Scientists estimate it is around 1.8 billion years old.
11:11That makes it one of the oldest intact geological formations on the planet.
11:15Number 36.
11:17Morgan Island.
11:18South Carolina, USA.
11:19It may have a decent-sized population,
11:22but these citizens have no interest in sharing information about their home.
11:25Off the coast of South Carolina lies a very special territory,
11:28one populated by rhesus monkeys.
11:31Researchers tell us this is private property,
11:32but they confirm there are at least 4,000 monkeys there.
11:35In the late 70s and early 80s,
11:37an outbreak of herpes B led to over 1,000 of these primates being relocated to Morgan Island.
11:42There, the animals have the freedom to roam wherever they please,
11:46but as a result, we haven't been able to learn much about it.
11:49Yeah, they're monkeys.
11:50Yeah, they're sitting on the stump there.
11:52In fact, people are required to view it from a distance.
11:56This is to protect both the monkeys and any hopeful visitors.
12:00It's good for the monkeys, but bad for us learning more about the island.
12:03Any way these monkeys can escape?
12:05Sure.
12:07They swim.
12:08They're good swimmers.
12:10Number 35.
12:11Sandy Island, New Caledonia.
12:13If an area isn't charted on a map, does it truly even exist?
12:17That is the burning question surrounding Sandy Island.
12:19It was first added to maps near the territory of New Caledonia back in the 19th century.
12:24This was accepted without further questions.
12:27Though it was quietly removed from French charts,
12:29it received widespread coverage when a ship sailed by in 2012 and saw nothing there.
12:35This led to research teams trying to discern if it had sunk into the sea or if it ever existed at all.
12:40Had they taken the initiative to look into the Phantom location way back when,
12:44then we would know for sure.
12:45Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
12:47And now, Sandy Island remains a legend.
12:50Number 34.
12:51Mount Lico, Mozambique.
12:53Mountain climbing has become more popular across the globe in recent years,
12:56but there are some that are practically inaccessible to hopeful mountaineers.
13:00Mozambique's Mount Lico was a more recent revelation, having been identified in 2012.
13:05It has these very smooth granite edges that rise up to over half a kilometer.
13:12The rock walls reaching thousands of feet above sea level successfully prevented people from climbing it until 2018.
13:19It was then that a lush rainforest was discovered thriving within a volcanic crater,
13:23far from the prying eyes of any human.
13:25Potentially, this forest has never had any human interference.
13:29What adds to the mystery is that various artifacts were found,
13:32meaning that ancient civilizations may have lived there at one point.
13:36Until it's properly excavated and explored, we won't know for sure.
13:40They could dramatically improve our understanding of how climate change is affecting our planet.
13:45Number 33.
13:46The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, China.
13:48There's a chance you've heard of this iconic burial site,
13:51or at the very least seen the breathtaking terracotta statues guarding it.
13:54Qin Shi Huang may have been the first emperor of China's Qin dynasty,
13:58but his legacy truly lives on in the mystery surrounding his final resting place.
14:02He ordered his real army to be recreated in clay and buried with him,
14:07ready to fight his battles in the afterlife.
14:10Though certain areas of the tomb have been explored,
14:13including a bevy of bronze sculptures and the aforementioned clay army,
14:17entry inside has never been permitted.
14:19To date, the site is still unexcavated due to dangerously high levels of mercury.
14:25There have been plenty of good arguments made to excavate it,
14:28but experts are worried that doing so will irreparably damage the artifacts.
14:32Should they find a way to protect those precious items,
14:35then we may finally receive answers to a millennia-old question.
14:39It's a really incredible feeling to be here,
14:43standing in a place where nobody really gets access.
14:46Number 32, the Cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, northern Central America.
14:52It's one of evolution's masterpieces, and yet we may never be able to fully appreciate it.
14:57In ancient times, the Yucatan Peninsula was a giant coral reef.
15:01Once it was exposed to the air, it dried out.
15:03It slowly dissolved into caves and sinkholes known as cenotes.
15:07It's unknown how many there are, with estimates as high as 30,000.
15:11The ones we have been able to see are truly breathtaking,
15:14but there are so many more we don't have access to.
15:17It's been speculated that some of them will be the sites of various ancient Maya artifacts.
15:22Should we someday get to explore each and every cenote the area has to offer,
15:26then we could get some true insight into the civilization's lives.
15:29Number 31, Ilha da Queimada Grande, aka Snake Island, the coast of Brazil.
15:35Just by the name alone, you can probably guess why explorers haven't been too keen to check it out.
15:41Off the coast of Brazil, on Ilha da Queimada Grande, otherwise known as Snake Island,
15:52the highly endangered and venomous golden lancehead pit viper reigns supreme.
15:56They became isolated there following the end of the Ice Age,
15:59and they multiplied so much that it eventually became uninhabitable and even unvisitable for humans.
16:05Imagine these snakes as moving landmines that, instead of blowing you up,
16:09will cause your organs to liquefy in a slow, tedious death.
16:13In an effort to keep both populations from harming one another,
16:16the Brazilian Navy banned people from visiting.
16:18Now, the only ones allowed to even step foot on the island are researchers,
16:23and even that is a risk in itself.
16:25Normally, it's illegal to visit, but we've found one guy who has a permit.
16:30Number 30, the Taklamakan Desert, China.
16:32My lord, the sun's getting too high.
16:35We need to seal the doors.
16:38Located in northwestern China, the Taklamakan Desert is one of the largest deserts in the world,
16:43about the size of Germany to be precise.
16:45In local folklore, its name is said to mean the place of no return.
16:49So, you know, it's not exactly the prime spot for a vacation.
16:52Taklamakan's vast size and harsh conditions make it extremely difficult to explore,
16:57with the desert characterized by towering sand dunes measuring over 650 feet high,
17:02extreme temperatures, and being a desert and all?
17:05A fatal lack of water.
17:07While historically part of the Silk Road,
17:09its harsh landscape has deterred all but the most daring travelers.
17:12It is still being studied and worked on to this day,
17:15and China began a major digging project in 2023.
17:19Stillsuit is a high-efficiency filtration system.
17:23Even this early in the morning, you wouldn't survive two hours without one of these.
17:28Number 29.
17:29The Aleutian Islands, the USA and Russia.
17:32Why am I doing all the talking?
17:34It's your parents' house.
17:35Why don't you tell them where it is?
17:36Jump in.
17:38Sitka.
17:38Sitka.
17:41Alaska.
17:41Alaska.
17:42A chain of islands stretching from Alaska to Russia,
17:45the Aleutian Islands is a remote and rugged archipelago
17:48that is totally unwelcome of human habitation.
17:50The islands are only accessible by boat or plane,
17:54so even getting to them is quite the adventure,
17:56and a costly one at that.
17:57The islands are also known for their strong volcanic and seismic activity,
18:01gale-force winds, heavy rains, rugged terrain, and rough seas.
18:05So even if you get to the islands in the first place,
18:08you are met with extreme and dangerous conditions that make exploration difficult,
18:12never mind permanent habitation.
18:14Outdoorsman.
18:15What's your fascination with all that stuff?
18:17I'm going to Alaska.
18:19Number 28.
18:20Mount Namuli, Mozambique.
18:22This is the last frontier on Earth.
18:25Still alive.
18:27Still wild.
18:29Found in the Mozambique province of Zambesia is Mount Namuli,
18:32an isolated mountain rising almost 8,000 feet above sea level.
18:36Namuli is a hotspot for biodiversity,
18:38and its lower slopes are used by locals for the production of tea.
18:42However, much of its interior remains unexplored.
18:45Even getting to the mountain is extremely difficult,
18:48as it's surrounded by a dense rainforest and road access is notoriously poor.
18:52As for the mountain itself, it's composed of high vertical cliffs and rugged terrain.
18:57Thus, an expert knowledge in mountaineering is a must.
19:00The area is especially noted for its ornithological activity,
19:03but exploring it is an absolute pain in the you-know-what.
19:06We are not entirely convinced there's anything as mystical as bird mind-reading going on.
19:14But we are entirely devoted to finding out answers.
19:18Number 27.
19:19Palmerston Island, the Pacific Ocean.
19:21You gotta love crab.
19:25We make it time, too.
19:29Don't take much more of those coconuts.
19:32A small atoll in the Pacific Ocean,
19:34Palmerston Island is home to one of the world's smallest communities.
19:37The island was first recorded by Captain Cook in 1774,
19:41and was settled by a 19th-century explorer named William Marsters.
19:45He and his Polynesian wives bore many children,
19:47and their descendants continue to occupy the island to this day.
19:51Only about 24 family members remain on Palmerston,
19:54which is extremely remote and without an airstrip.
19:57Visitors must obtain special permission to enter,
20:00and a supply boat only arrives on the island once every three months.
20:03It has maintained a distinct way of life that has been largely unchanged or untouched by external influences,
20:09making it one of the most unique places on Earth.
20:12A tropical island, huh?
20:14Well, I've washed up in worse places.
20:17Number 26.
20:18The Atacama Desert, Chile.
20:20Welcome to Club Med.
20:22So it hasn't rained since June?
20:23It's not going to rain again until September?
20:25By their very nature, deserts aren't exactly welcoming places.
20:29The Atacama is certainly no different.
20:31This is one of the driest places on Earth, receiving virtually no rain.
20:35We're serious.
20:36Some areas of the Atacama haven't received rain in more than 500 years.
20:40Characterized by barren landscapes, massive salt flats,
20:44limited water sources, and a total lack of vegetation,
20:47the Atacama Desert is completely inaccessible for human exploration.
20:50Its Mars-like terrain offers little sustenance for life,
20:54and venturing through a seemingly endless desert seems like quite a monumental task,
20:58a task that very few people have been willing to undergo.
21:01You want some water?
21:08Drink!
21:09Drink!
21:10Number 25.
21:11The Sahara Desert, North Africa.
21:13Deserts.
21:16Scorched.
21:17Desolate.
21:19Hostile.
21:19The granddaddy of all deserts, the Sahara is found in North Africa,
21:25stretching from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean and finally the Atlantic.
21:29And with a combined area of over 3.5 million square miles,
21:33it is the largest hot desert on Earth.
21:35In fact, it's larger than Brazil and nearly the size of China.
21:40The Sahara is a vast expanse of sand dunes, dry lakes and valleys, and rock,
21:44coupled with the harsh realities of extreme temperatures,
21:47lack of infrastructure and resources,
21:49and political instability in surrounding countries.
21:52Oh, and of course, there's also the punishing terrain,
21:55deadly animals, and devastating dust storms to consider.
21:58So, yeah, it's a little difficult to just wander around.
22:02Take good care of your family.
22:08The desert's not kind to humans either.
22:11Number 24.
22:13Kayachur National Park, Guyana
22:15At Kytia Falls, Steve and the team have set the ropes.
22:20Right, I wouldn't go straight over.
22:21I would step down now onto the ladder.
22:23Found in Guyana is Kayachur National Park,
22:25a large forested area known for its breathtaking waterfalls.
22:29This includes Arnduk Falls and the world-famous Kayachur Falls,
22:32a towering 800-foot site that is considered the world's largest single-drop waterfall.
22:37While the waterfall itself is quite popular,
22:39the surrounding area is not.
22:41For one thing, it is completely inaccessible by land,
22:44and the falls themselves can only be reached by plane via the Kayachur International Airport.
22:49The dense jungle surrounding the falls contains organisms that are totally unique to the region,
22:53and the local Amerindian tribes have lived in the area for thousands of years.
22:57It's a single drop, 741 feet high.
23:02That's five times the height of Niagara.
23:05Number 23.
23:06Antarctica, the Southern Ocean
23:08It's the least explored, least understood continent on Earth.
23:14The southernmost continent of our world,
23:17Antarctica is a vast, icy wasteland that covers over 5 million square miles.
23:225 million square miles of absolutely nothing.
23:25It is freezing, dry, and insanely windy, and its interior remains largely unexplored due to the extreme conditions.
23:33Only a small number of scientific expeditions have been able to venture into the interior of Antarctica,
23:38and even these were beset with great fatalities.
23:41Whether it's freezing to death, starving from the lack of provisions,
23:44or getting lost in the endless expanse of white, exploring Antarctica is unbelievably dangerous.
23:49There are some places humans just were not meant to go, and Antarctica is one of them.
23:545.4 million square miles of frozen desert, home to the driest place on Earth.
24:01Number 22.
24:03Kamchatka, Russia
24:04The Russian Far East, a land of volcanic fire and sub-arctic ice.
24:10A great barren peninsula in eastern Russia, Kamchatka is another place not meant for humans.
24:15Its landscape is truly something else, being a varied region with active volcanoes, geysers, and glaciers.
24:21Not to mention its incredible number of brown bears and Pacific salmon.
24:25It sounds like a dream, but we have been unable to crack it.
24:28Much of Kamchatka remains unexplored due to its harsh climate, incredible remoteness, and the presence of strong volcanic activity.
24:35Vladimir Lenin offered Kamchatka to the United States in 1920,
24:39and it was left completely inaccessible following World War II when it was made a restricted military zone.
24:44Today, about 300,000 people occupy the entire area,
24:48with two-thirds living in the cities of Yelizovo and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
24:53Our journey into the forest begins here,
24:56at the foot of the three volcanoes that tower over Kamchatka's capital, Petropavlovsk.
25:01Number 21.
25:02North Sentinel Island, India
25:04This was a journey American missionary John Chow was warned against taking.
25:09The island was off-limits to protect outsiders and the tribe, which has no immunity to modern diseases.
25:14Some places are inaccessible because of their location.
25:17Some because the people there just do not want you.
25:20North Sentinel Island is both.
25:22Found in the Andaman Sea, North Sentinel Island is home to the Sentinelese,
25:26an indigenous tribe known for their great hostility towards outsiders.
25:30They have successfully resisted contact with the modern world for centuries,
25:34despite continued attempts by anthropologists and explorers.
25:37Some people have even died after reaching the island,
25:40including American missionary John Allen Chow,
25:43who was killed while preaching Christianity to the natives.
25:45The Sentinelese have remained completely isolated from the outside world,
25:49and it is currently illegal to get within five nautical miles of the island.
25:53Fishermen reported they watched as tribe members shot him with arrows.
25:58Now advocates for the tribe are insisting that his body be left alone.
26:03Number 20.
26:04Haranitsa Abyss, Haranitsa, Czech Republic
26:07Anything labeled as an abyss is sure to kickstart the imagination.
26:12Found near Haranitsa, Czech Republic is the Haranitsa Abyss,
26:16a massive pit cave measuring one kilometer, or over 3,000 feet deep.
26:21The cave is so mysterious that it wasn't extensively studied until the 21st century.
26:26In 2016, the cave's depth was measured at 1,553 feet,
26:32and it wasn't until 2020 that scientists made the one kilometer observation,
26:37making the Haranitsa Abyss the world's deepest freshwater cave.
26:41And even though scientists know it's one kilometer deep,
26:44the studies were conducted via geophysical techniques,
26:47and not a manned excursion.
26:49As such, the Haranitsa Abyss remains completely unexplored.
26:53Number 19. Pitcairn Island, the Pacific Ocean
26:57Officially a part of the British Overseas Territory,
27:01Pitcairn Island is nearly inaccessible.
27:04It reportedly takes over 30 hours to boat from New Zealand to Pitcairn,
27:08and legend has it that planes have never landed on the island.
27:12Pitcairn is officially populated with 47 natives,
27:16most of whom are descended from the famous Mutiny on the Bounty.
27:19A very popular story,
27:21Captain William Bly was overthrown by Fletcher Christian
27:24and a small group of disgruntled crewmen.
27:27And this group eventually settled on Pitcairn with their Tahitian captives.
27:31Their distant descendants continue to live on Pitcairn,
27:44and the Bounty can still be seen under the waters of Bounty Bay.
27:48They remain closed off thousands of miles away from modern civilization.
27:54Number 18. Cape Melville, Australia
27:57Found on the northeastern tip of Australia is Cape Melville,
28:01encompassing both Cape Melville National Park and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
28:06Despite its official distinction, Cape Melville is completely isolated,
28:10with the nearest metropolis being Brisbane,
28:13an expansive 1,000 miles away.
28:16Very few people have walked and explored the Melville Range,
28:19a local rainforest and mountain range that's protected by unique granite outcrops.
28:24In 2013, a team of scientists discovered three new species of gecko,
28:29skink and frog that had been living in isolation on Cape Melville for millions of years.
28:35As biologist Conrad Hoskin told AFP,
28:38quote,
28:38The top of Cape Melville is a lost world.
28:42Number 17.
28:43Gankar Ponsum, Bhutan
28:45Meaning White Peak of the Three Spiritual Brothers,
28:48Gankar Ponsum is found in the Kingdom of Bhutan
28:51and is the highest unclimbed mountain in the world.
28:55That there is the mighty Ganga Ponsum,
28:57the highest unclimbed peak in the world.
28:59Measuring just over 24,800 feet,
29:03Gankar Ponsum is about 400 feet higher than runner-up,
29:06Muchu Cheech in Pakistan.
29:08The mountain has remained so mysterious throughout the years
29:11that some people didn't even know where it was,
29:13including the first climbers,
29:15who got lost reading the inaccurate maps of the area.
29:19Attempts at scaling the mountain were made throughout the 80s,
29:22but none was successful.
29:24The first attempt on Gankar Ponsum was by the Japanese in 1985.
29:30Fixing ropes up the mountain, they followed an obvious gully.
29:34However, climbing has been banned since 1994,
29:37a combination of local spiritual beliefs
29:39and a lack of rescue resources.
29:42As such, the peak of Gankar Ponsum remains untouched
29:45by human hands and feet.
29:47Number 16.
29:49New Hebrides Trench,
29:50The Pacific Ocean
29:51It's amazing how much of the ocean remains unexplored.
29:55Discovered back in 1910 by a German vessel,
29:58New Hebrides Trench measures 25,000 feet deep,
30:02750 miles long,
30:04and 45 miles wide.
30:06And it's found between the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
30:11Not only had the trench been completely undetected until the early 20th century,
30:15but it wasn't even explored until 2014.
30:19It was then that a scientific expedition sent down an unmanned lander equipped with cameras
30:23and captured the likes of eels, prawns, and various crustaceans.
30:28It was the first time in human history
30:31that the creatures of New Hebrides Trench had been photographed.
30:35Number 15.
30:35North East Greenland National Park, Greenland.
30:39Officially the world's largest island,
30:41Greenland has been inhabited for over 4,000 years.
30:45Norsemen famously colonized the southern reaches of Greenland beginning in the 10th century.
30:49And this is where most natives continue to live.
30:52It doesn't get much more remote than this.
30:55The country's most populous cities,
30:57Newk and Sisimut,
30:58are found in the southwest.
31:00Contrasting this is the North East Greenland National Park,
31:03a massive area that is larger than 85% of the world's countries.
31:08No one permanently lives within the boundaries of the park.
31:11And aside from scattered research stations,
31:13it remains completely barren.
31:16That is, aside from the native mammals like musk oxen,
31:19polar bears, and arctic foxes.
31:21While nearly 1 million people live within the Russian Republic of Sokka,
31:30they are mostly concentrated within one specific area.
31:33For example,
31:34the capital city of Yakutsk holds one-third of the region's inhabitants,
31:39with a population of 311,000.
31:41The rest of the Republic,
31:43which is roughly the size of India,
31:45is basically a frozen wasteland.
31:48Sokka has a reputation for being horrifically cold.
31:51And Yakutsk resides on continuous permafrost.
31:55The small town of Verhojansk once reached minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit,
31:59making it the coldest temperature ever recorded above the Arctic Circle.
32:03The locality of Oymyakon is also recognized as the coldest inhabited place on Earth,
32:09with a daily mean of minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the winter months,
32:13and a record high January temperature of just 2 degrees.
32:20The worst thing here is that you can underestimate the cold.
32:24Number 13. The Namib, Southern Africa.
32:28Found on the western shore of Namibia is the Namib,
32:31a vast desert and UNESCO World Heritage Site that stretches nearly 1,000 miles long.
32:37It has been said that the name Namib means emptiness,
32:42but no one really knows.
32:44And the mute sands conceal the mysteries of its age, history, and origin.
32:49Most of the desert is inaccessible and contains very few human settlements,
32:54bar a small number of outposts and indigenous groups,
32:57like the Herero and Namakoykoy.
32:59A large portion of the desert is contained within the Namib Naukluft National Park,
33:05which is only accessible via specialized aircraft and dirt roads.
33:08It's not as large as the Sahara, but it's probably the world's oldest desert.
33:14The Namib is not a friendly place,
33:16and the historic San peoples were forced to drink the juice from the Sama melon for water.
33:21When you think of vast, barren, dry, and disgustingly hot deserts with blowing sand dunes,
33:28you think of the Namib.
33:29The Namib is certainly a treasure in the literal sense of the word,
33:34for it's the richest source of diamonds on the planet.
33:37Number 12. Patagonia, South America.
33:40A geographical region encompassing both Chile and Argentina,
33:43Patagonia is a wild and unpredictable landscape.
33:46To the east are barren deserts and steppes,
33:48and to the west, fjords, glaciers, and rainforests.
33:52The southwest portion of Patagonia is particularly inhospitable,
33:56owing to its dense, remote forests and massive ice fields.
34:00This includes the southern Patagonian ice field,
34:02which spans 6,500 square miles.
34:06The ice field wasn't explored until the early 20th century,
34:09and some portions remain both untouched and unseen.
34:13Included within the ice field is Bernardo O'Higgins National Park,
34:17which is rarely visited owing to its seclusion and taxing geographical features.
34:23Number 11. Fjordland National Park, New Zealand.
34:27Fjordland National Park is the largest of its kind in all of New Zealand,
34:31encompassing 4,868 square miles.
34:34The park takes its name from the many fjords that define the landscape.
34:37Deep trenches formed long ago by glaciers,
34:40the fjords cut through rainforests, mountains, and lakes to awe-inspiring effect.
34:45Despite it being a national park,
34:47much of it has yet to actually be explored due to its inaccessibility and massive size.
34:51New plant and animal species almost certainly reside there,
34:54just waiting to be discovered.
34:56Fun fact, scenes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy were actually filmed in the fjordland.
35:00You shall not pass!
35:07Number 10. The Mariana Trench, the Pacific Ocean.
35:11The deepest oceanic trench on Earth.
35:15The Mariana Trench is found in the Pacific Ocean in the middle of Japan,
35:18the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea.
35:20Where the seafloor drops to more than 6,000 meters,
35:24the pressure is so enormous that it destroys the structure of the cells of which an animal is made.
35:30It measures over 1,500 miles in length and is at least 36,000 feet deep,
35:37making it nearly 10,000 feet taller than Mount Everest.
35:41The pressure, found within the deepest parts of the trench,
35:44makes exploring incredibly difficult.
35:46And only a small number of people and exploratory crafts have made the descent
35:50since the trench was found in 1875.
35:53Despite the pressure, the Mariana Trench is home to a number of creatures,
35:57including snailfish, single-celled amoebas, and amphipods measuring one foot in length.
36:03We now know that there is life down there, but we still know very little about it.
36:08Number 9. Shortse Island, Iceland.
36:11Beautiful in a desolate sort of way,
36:13this island is a relatively new addition to our world.
36:16Shortse was formed by volcanic eruptions between 1963 and 1967 off Iceland's southern coast.
36:22Largely free of human interference, the island is closed off to the public.
36:26Only authorized researchers have permission to land.
36:29As a newly developed island, it was initially devoid of life.
36:33Soon enough, however, different types of birds, insects, and plants began to appear on the island.
36:37And that's what makes it so exciting from a scientific perspective.
36:40Here, researchers have the unique opportunity to observe the process through which local ecosystems are established.
36:47Number 8. Underwater Caves, Riviera Maya, Mexico.
36:51Riviera Maya has some of the most spectacular cave systems in the world.
36:55It's also home to some of the longest cave systems in the world, such as the Sistema Oxpela and Sistema Dos Ojos.
37:02Freshwater sinkholes, commonly referred to as cenotes, provide natural access to these networks of caves.
37:07But while the cenotes themselves are often popular with travelers, the depths of the caves are a different story entirely.
37:14The deepest and most remote parts of the caves have never been open to the public.
37:17And considering the ancient Maya civilization used to throw human sacrifices into these cenotes and possibly artifacts,
37:24who knows what's waiting to be discovered down in the depths?
37:26Number 7. Singhi de Bemara National Park, Madagascar.
37:31Singhi is the term used to describe the steep, pointed limestone structures and plateaus formed by groundwater erosion in this area of northwestern Madagascar.
37:40A Malagasy word, singhi roughly translates to where one cannot walk barefoot.
37:44As it turns out, however, the meaning applies to more than just barefoot exploration, but arguably any sort of exploration.
37:51The terrain is very difficult to navigate, presenting numerous formidable barriers to those looking to uncover the park's secrets.
37:57Which is a shame, because scientists already know there are many endemic species, i.e. plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth.
38:05The national park's namesake rock formations are so dense and inaccessible, in fact, that they're sometimes called forests.
38:11Number 6. Mount Mabu Rainforest, Mozambique, Africa.
38:15Hard though it might be to believe, this rainforest only came to the attention of the scientific community in the 21st century.
38:22Prior to that, it was known to locals, but its unique flora and fauna had yet to be documented.
38:27What was interesting about this site was the surrounding land was heavily cultivated,
38:31and then the crater containing rainforest was very dense and intact.
38:37And I thought that was a little bit strange, because there should be evidence of human disturbance.
38:42This high-altitude rainforest, because of the distinctly challenging geography, requires extensive planning to visit.
38:49And because of the role Google Maps played in identifying and understanding the area,
38:52it's commonly referred to in the media as Google Forest.
38:55Though it wasn't easy to get there, upon entering the rainforest,
38:59researchers have been thrilled to discover a largely untouched ecosystem,
39:02including various previously unknown species.
39:05When you enter into a forest, everything changes.
39:08The forest is cool, the canopy is high, and it's very shady.
39:12Life is buzzing all around you.
39:14And there are likely many more left to be discovered.
39:17To actually find a hidden rainforest, which turns out to be the largest in southern Africa,
39:21shows that we don't have all the answers, and we don't know what's out there.
39:25Number 5. Northern Forest Complex, Myanmar.
39:28If you're looking for untarnished wilderness and or a place where you're sure to make new discoveries,
39:33you couldn't ask for much better.
39:35Because Myanmar has been engaged in the longest civil war in history,
39:39the northern forest complex has been largely off-limits for some time.
39:42The silver lining of this situation is that it served to preserve the natural forests,
39:46but the scientific community is naturally anxious to get in there and explore.
39:50And even as the country opens up, many challenges remain.
39:53The dense jungle has no roads or paths, and the terrain is rather inhospitable,
39:58with scorching heat, torrential rain, and mountain peaks thousands of feet in height.
40:04Number 4. Sundong Cave, Vietnam.
40:07The largest known cave in the world.
40:09Han Sundong is so massive that an entire city block could fit inside it.
40:14The cave is estimated to be somewhere between 2 and 5 million years old,
40:18but it was only discovered relatively recently.
40:20Though a local man is credited with first having founded in 1991,
40:23Sundong Cave didn't receive international attention until 2009,
40:28when the British Cave Research Association, or BCRA, organized an expedition.
40:32It's an absolutely amazing atmosphere, and it's hard to take in.
40:36It's breathtaking.
40:38And absolutely huge.
40:40The cave has many unexplored regions in its depths,
40:43and likely holds countless wonders.
40:45As if that's not enough,
40:47collapsed portions of the cave allow in enough light that it even has its own forest.
40:51What I want to convey is the feeling of being there,
40:54about walking through this pristine, beautiful place,
40:58this cave in Vietnam,
40:59and making people realize that places like this
41:03are part of our heritage and need to be preserved.
41:06Number 3. The Amazon Rainforest, South America.
41:10The stuff of legend, literature, and film,
41:13the Amazon rainforest is perhaps the modern equivalent of a lost world.
41:17For one thing, the place is gigantic, measuring over 2 billion square miles.
41:23The Amazon Basin dominates the northern half of South America,
41:27stretching over 400 million hectares.
41:31Mapping and exploring the forest has proven incredibly difficult,
41:34thanks to its enormous size and density,
41:36as much of the area is coated in thick forest cover.
41:39The world's largest rainforest is watered by the world's mightiest river,
41:44the Amazon.
41:45Many dangerous creatures like piranhas,
41:48poison dart frogs,
41:49jaguars,
41:50and various forms of deadly snakes can also be found within the rainforest,
41:54which further deters intricate exploration.
41:57In fact, the rainforest is so unknown and unexplored,
42:01that previously uncontacted tribes were found within an area known as Valley do Javari in 2011.
42:07They're the ones that took the photos during a recent flyover of the Valley do Javari region of the Amazon.
42:14Number 2. The Star and Nakanai Mountains, Papua New Guinea.
42:18Because of the various geographical barriers,
42:20much of Papua New Guinea is, from a scientific perspective, unexplored.
42:24Entire forests of flora and fauna have yet to be documented.
42:27As such, it's likely home to wonders that we can only imagine.
42:31The Star Mountains, for example, are especially hard to visit due to the natural rock formation known as the Hindenburg Wall,
42:37a limestone barrier that rises to approximately one mile above sea level.
42:41The Nakanai Mountains, for their part, are so remote and undisturbed,
42:44that in 2009, researchers found approximately 200 species never before seen in just 60 days.
42:51Over the last few decades, researchers have found upwards of 1,000 new species on or around the island of New Guinea.
42:57I mean, the area in Papua New Guinea provides a key watershed for thousands of people
43:03who depend on its fisheries and natural resources and, of course, most basically water.
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43:24Number 1. Devon Island, Canada
43:27At 21,331 square miles, Devon Island is the largest uninhabited island on the planet.
43:35To put that in context, it's only about 500 square miles smaller than the country of Croatia.
43:40But that's not all Devon has going for it.
43:41The island's environment is remarkable in that it actually closely resembles that of Mars.
43:46Because of the uniquely intense conditions,
43:49NASA uses this polar desert to train for manned missions to the red planet.
43:53This is a place that is barren.
43:55Vast. Intimidating.
43:57You're rambling through areas that are quite dangerous.
44:00It's isolated and remote and rocky, just like the surface of Mars is.
44:04Though there is a research station that's run by the Arctic Institute of North America,
44:09no one lives here permanently.
44:10In fact, the conditions are so inhospitable that only a small number of birds and mammals can survive,
44:15as well as extremophiles, organisms that thrive in extreme environments.
44:19Which of these places do you hope gets fully explored first?
44:23Let us know in the comments below.
44:25My legs and back ache, but I spare a thought for our porters.
44:29Do you agree with our picks?
44:31Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
44:33And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
44:37We'll see you next time.
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