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Let's take a closer look at the islands that hold hundreds of mysteries. Maybe today we will solve them? Come on a little trip with us!
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00:01Just look at these mysterious islands. Years of sea corrosion and nature made this magnificent
00:07pattern of a world map out of islands. Yeah, just kidding. Of course these are man-made.
00:13The World Islands is an archipelago in the United Arab Emirates, and only one of many other magnificent artificial islands
00:21created there.
00:22And although the idea of man-made islands sounds very modern, the process has a long history.
00:28Many thousands of years ago, prehistoric people used to pile hundreds of boulders on lakes or river bottoms to create
00:35small islands.
00:36They can still be found in northern Scotland. The process was challenging and must have taken a lot of time
00:43since some of the stones weighed up to 550 pounds a piece.
00:47That means the islands were significant and had some sacred purpose. But to this day, it's still a mystery.
00:53We do know the purpose of the Chinopause, Aztec artificial islands for cultivating crops.
01:00Small, ridge-like islands were built on the wetlands and swamps with canals between them.
01:05It provided enough water to grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers all year long.
01:10These floating gardens are still present and can be found in some regions of Mexico.
01:15What about more modern creations? Nowadays, islands are created for the need for extra space.
01:22Many Asian airports are built on artificial islands. The second, third, and fourth biggest man-made islands
01:28are taken by Osaka, Hong Kong, and Tokonami airports.
01:33However, not all islands are made with a purpose.
01:35Most of the New York harbor islands are man-made, but not all were actually planned.
01:42Belmont Island is just a pile of rocks, disposed of while constructing the underwater metro tunnel.
01:48The island measures only 100 by 200 feet.
01:51Although it's off-limits for people, in 2004, an artist unsuccessfully tried to proclaim the island as a sovereign nation.
01:59Other New York artificial islands include the Swinburne and Hoffman Islands,
02:05built to quarantine immigrants coming to the USA in the late 19th century.
02:09Nowadays, they have a more peaceful purpose as bird sanctuaries.
02:14Speaking of birds, there's a big S-shaped island in South Africa.
02:18And it's not an illusion. The island is covered in flamingos.
02:23Built in 2006, the island shape creates two bays for birds.
02:27The island also features four ponds and 1,000 artificial nests for the new residents.
02:34This sanctuary now hosts around 10,000 flamingos.
02:38Hey, you two! Want to hang out on my front yard?
02:42The position of the largest man-made island is taken by the Netherlands island Flevoland.
02:48After the 1916 flood, they decided to reclaim the local bay,
02:52and a dam was built, disconnecting the sea's inlet.
02:55By 1968, the land was reclaimed and became the youngest Netherlands province called Flevapolder.
03:03The island measures 370 square miles and supports more than 400,000 inhabitants.
03:09But, for some people, one island is just not enough, and whole archipelagos are created.
03:16Four enormous projects were completed in the United Arab Emirates.
03:20One of them is the aforementioned The World Archipelago.
03:23Let's have a closer look, shall we?
03:26Dubai, the capital city of one of the Seven Emirates, is known for its luxury.
03:31An opulent oasis in the middle of the desert houses the Burj Khalifa,
03:36the tallest building in the world, lavish shopping malls, and monumental fountains.
03:41In the early 2000s, the Emirates was experiencing a real estate boom.
03:46And eventually, the coastal land skyrocketed in value.
03:50Soon enough, all the coastlines were occupied.
03:53All of the best prices of land were taken, and there seemed to be no way out.
03:58You can't make new real estate, right?
04:00Well, nothing is impossible in Dubai.
04:03A real estate company announced a new project to create a few islands with more coastal lands to expand the
04:10shore.
04:10The original plan included three palm tree-shaped archipelagos, the Palm Jumeirah, Palm Deerah, and Palm Jebel Ali.
04:19And just the first project could double the coastline.
04:22Soon enough, the world project was added.
04:25The archipelago was supposed to look like, you guessed it, a map of planet Earth.
04:29After completion, the universe was supposed to be added.
04:33A group of islands representing the sun, moon, a galaxy, and the Milky Way.
04:38The islands were supposed to be covered in private housing, villas, hotels, water parks, shopping malls, and entertainment centers.
04:47The plans looked grandiose and mind-blowing, but many things went wrong when making it happen.
04:53First, Palm Jumeirah and Palm Jebel Ali were constructed.
04:57Tons of sand were dug up from the Persian and Arab Gulf's floors.
05:01Then the sand was sprayed and compacted into the needed shape, surrounded by rocks for stability.
05:07The construction began in 2001, and in 2006, the first apartments were completed.
05:13Nowadays, Palm Jumeirah is one of the most recognized man-made islands.
05:18It consists of a trunk and 17 palm leaf shapes, surrounded by a crescent-shaped island.
05:24The project added 40 miles of desired beaches.
05:28It's currently home to the opulent resort Atlantis the Palm, numerous malls, hotels, parks, and villas.
05:35The island is connected to the mainland by a monorail and an underwater tunnel.
05:40And by 2016, more than 10,000 people lived there.
05:44Work on the second Palm Island started in 2002.
05:48It was supposed to be 50% larger than Palm Jumeirah.
05:52Just a year later, work on 300 small islands composing the world began as well.
05:57Unfortunately, the global financial crisis of 2008 didn't avoid Dubai.
06:03All of the construction projects were halted.
06:06Nobody was buying the new property.
06:08The absent interest in land purchases tanked the value of the plots.
06:13The developing company announced refunds to its investors.
06:17Sandbanks were abandoned half-done.
06:19The half-built Palm Jumeirah was rebranded into the Jumeirah Islands in 2013.
06:24It hosts the Night Souk, the largest night market in the world, and the Dira Mall with over a thousand
06:31stores.
06:32Hopefully, the plan to develop the other islands will be completed.
06:35They will house more than a quarter of a million people.
06:38By the time the financial crisis hit the industry, most of the world archipelago's land reclamation was done.
06:45The majority of the islands were named after corresponding countries and were already sold.
06:50Some were sold to real estate tycoons.
06:53Some to private buyers.
06:55Virgin Group founder Richard Branson bought the Britain Island.
06:58Ethiopia Island was reported to be purchased by then married Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
07:06Unfortunately, after purchase, no development followed.
07:10And most of the investors lost their interest and didn't see any future in the project anymore.
07:15Many investors were turned off by the island's size.
07:19Each island is a different size, some as tiny as six acres.
07:23Many are turned off by the lack of connection to the mainland, with only a boat or seaplane being an
07:29option, since some islands are two miles away.
07:32By 2013, two islands, Greenland and Lebanon, had been developed, giving some hope to the project.
07:40Alas, the world was struck by another problem.
07:43A report came out stating the islands were sinking back into the ocean.
07:47It's noted that water erosion was slowly washing away the sand.
07:52Right now, the only way to combat it is to manually replace the sand.
07:56This may not be a problem for private owners, but it might be a deal-breaker for a significant portion
08:02of residents.
08:03Besides that, the problem of water quality has been bothering the island's residents.
08:08The crescent shape around the palm islands was made to protect it from waves and erosion.
08:14In the end, it completely changed the natural tidal movement, making the water around the islands stagnant and stale.
08:21Remember smelling a small egg during an incredibly hot summer?
08:25Same effect here.
08:27It not only smells gross, but it can also be harmful to your health.
08:31Now, not to pile on, but we will.
08:33In addition, the usage of sand from seafloors is now destroying the natural coastlines.
08:40Besides other problems, these ecological concerns make the project unmarketable and not fit for the current time.
08:47Modern companies are interested in projects developing in coexistence with nature and not disrupting and changing the organic ways.
08:56However, despite all of the controversies, the world is slowly coming back to life.
09:01An Austrian real estate company bought six islands composing Europe's map and developing a new luxury resort called the Heart
09:10of Europe.
09:11The project is set to open by the end of 2020.
09:14It has some mind-blowing attractions.
09:17The world's first artificial rainy street, the first floating houses, and the first underwater hotel.
09:23The resort is separated into different zones, each symbolizing a different European country or city.
09:31The heart of Europe is now the only significant development on the world islands.
09:36But hey, if you don't want to buy your own island, I've got a bridge I can sell you.
09:41Wait, where are you going?
09:46Well, you're on a ship when you notice some water foaming nearby.
09:50It looks as if a huge vessel has just sunk there.
09:53But you don't see any debris.
09:55Steam is rising over the water and large bubbles appear on the surface.
09:59In a couple of minutes, you see a small piece of land appear right in front of your eyes.
10:05It's releasing flames and lava.
10:07Millions of gallons of water evaporate in the mouth of the volcano.
10:11Frightened, you get away from this place.
10:13For the next three years, the small island covered with volcanoes will be slowly emerging from the water.
10:20Every day, it'll erupt and fill the sky with black ash.
10:24When the ash settles, it'll get mixed with the water and form the shore.
10:27This eruption lasted three years.
10:30And finally, by 1967, the island of Surtsey on the southern coast of Iceland was fully formed.
10:37Surtsey is one of the few islands that have emerged from the depth to the surface of the sea.
10:42But it's almost impossible to get here.
10:45The island has a unique ecological system.
10:48And scientists want to find out how it's going to develop without human influence.
10:52Only a few people from all over the world have permission to walk around the island.
10:59This next place looks unwelcome from afar.
11:02We're now in Australia, in the Tasman Sea.
11:05Here, a huge ridge resembling a sharp fin of a giant shark sticks out of the water.
11:11The height of this mountain is 1,800 feet, which is almost twice the height of the Eiffel Tower.
11:16This place is called Ball's Pyramid.
11:18It's located in the center of an uninhabited volcanic island.
11:22It's difficult to get here because of the inaccessible rocky landscape of the place.
11:27The island was first discovered in 1788.
11:30At that time, I wasn't around then.
11:32It was considered barren and devoid of life.
11:35But more than 200 years later, in 2001, a group of scientists arrived at the island.
11:41And they found some incredible creatures there.
11:44They accidentally discovered the rarest insect in the world.
11:47It happened when the researchers reached the island, climbed to the height of more than 100 feet, and spotted a
11:53bush.
11:54Under it, they saw a colony of bugs known as land lobsters or walking sausages.
12:00These creatures belong to the family of stick insects.
12:03Each of them is about 6 inches in length.
12:06This is the length of a spicy bratwurst.
12:08Mmm, add a little mustard and relish?
12:11Yum!
12:11Oops, back to bugs.
12:13That day, people found 27 insects.
12:16But since then, their population has begun to increase.
12:19These creatures were believed to have become extinct in the early 20th century.
12:23But to the contrary, they somehow managed to get to the Ball's Pyramid and survive.
12:32Our next stop is Brazil, almost 93 miles from the center of Sao Paulo.
12:39That's where you can find an island that's almost impossible to get to.
12:43But if you succeed, you're unlikely to leave it.
12:47It's called Snake Island.
12:49There's no other place on the planet with such a high concentration of snakes.
12:53According to researchers, there are about 5 snakes for 10 square feet of land there.
12:58They are the only owners of the island, since no other animals can survive among them.
13:04Snakes there are one of the most venomous species in the world, the golden lanceheads.
13:09These snakes are about a foot and a half in length.
13:11Their venom is very powerful and fast-acting.
13:14If you let this reptile bite a raw piece of meat, the place around the bite will start to melt.
13:20Wow, count me out.
13:22Now, imagine you're on this island and the snakes don't bite you.
13:25The most interesting thing that you can find there is an old lighthouse.
13:29It's hidden in the dense foliage of trees.
13:32People lived on the island a long time ago.
13:34Rumor has it that the last keepers were in the lighthouse when snakes broke in.
13:39No one has lived there ever since.
13:41How these unique snakes appeared on the island is still a mystery.
13:45The most popular legend claims that a pirate came there a long time ago.
13:50He hid a treasure somewhere on the island.
13:52Then, he left the snakes in the spot where the chest was hidden.
13:56The pirate hoped the reptiles would scare people away from his gold coins and jewelry.
14:01Since then, a few snakes have managed to increase their population thousands of times.
14:06And some of them, reportedly, are wearing jewelry.
14:10Nah, not really.
14:11If you ever wanted to get to the island for some reason, the patrol services would stop you.
14:16Only a few people in special protective suits can get there to conduct scientific research.
14:24The next island is located 17 miles south of the center of Mexico City.
14:29You can easily get here.
14:31There are no poisonous animals, nobody guards the place,
14:34and the island's landscape allows you to moor a boat.
14:37But most likely, you'll want to leave this place as soon as you walk there for a while.
14:42Especially if you arrive at night.
14:45Dolls are hooked on trees all over the island.
14:48These toys have different clothes, different sizes, and different faces.
14:52You can find dozens of dolls on almost every tree.
14:55In the middle of the 20th century,
14:57one of the residents of Mexico City moved to this island and began to fill it with toys.
15:02He picked the dolls up from landfills and canals all over the island.
15:06It took him several decades to decorate each tree.
15:09In the beginning, it looked strange and interesting.
15:12Thousands of tourists came here to see the island.
15:15Then the dolls began to age and rot.
15:18Rains and hot sun deformed their faces.
15:21Covered with moss, they started to take terrible shapes.
15:24But the worst thing is that some people believe these dolls come to life at night.
15:30Imagine wandering alone on this island under the light of the moon
15:34and suddenly noticing a hanging doll without one eye.
15:38Eww!
15:39It's turning its head in your direction.
15:41A second later, you're already jumping into the boat and sailing away as fast as possible.
15:47One of the most unsafe and inaccessible places on Earth is located in the waters of the Bay of Bengal.
15:53This is North Sentinel Island.
15:55It's a small piece of land that looks like a tropical paradise.
15:59But you won't get here for two reasons.
16:01Since 1956, any trips to this island have been prohibited by law.
16:06There are always several ships going around and patrolling the area.
16:10The second reason is located on the island itself.
16:13Imagine you've managed to get past the patrol boats.
16:16You're sailing on a small boat to the shore.
16:19Crystal clear water surrounds you.
16:21You can even notice passing fish and beautiful coral reefs.
16:25Ahead, you see the golden coast and bright green trees.
16:29And among them, you notice small dots.
16:32You get closer and an arrow whizzes by a few inches away from your face.
16:37The next arrow is stuck in the wooden hull of the boat.
16:40The dots you noticed before are people, the local Sentinelese tribe.
16:44They're standing with bows, releasing arrows, and throwing spears at you.
16:48They are screaming something and waving their hands.
16:51You understand they are not happy to see you and will do everything to prevent you from reaching the shore.
16:58The Sentinelese have long been isolated from the whole world and are now defending their island in such an assertive
17:04way.
17:04They don't seem to be afraid of anything.
17:07Once, a helicopter flew to the island, and the locals still threw their spears and shot arrows at it.
17:12It's forbidden to approach the place, not only because it's unsafe for tourists, but also to protect the local tribe
17:19from the dangers of civilizations.
17:21People from the continent can easily bring some disease to the island and infect its inhabitants.
17:26The locals don't have immunity, even from the flu or a simple cold.
17:30Never mind smartphones.
17:32In addition, the island is surrounded by a coral reef, and this makes it very difficult for large ships to
17:38reach the shore.
17:39Despite all the prohibitions and the danger, many people have tried to get to the island.
17:44In 1880, an officer got to the shore and discovered that the soil there was ideal for growing coconut palms.
17:51The man also found several villages on the island, but didn't dare to meet with the locals.
17:56Eventually, he left this place, alive.
17:59Since then, many more attempts have been made to get to the island.
18:02Many times, researchers and travelers gave the islanders gifts, like fish or coconuts.
18:08The locals accepted these presents, asked for more, but still didn't allow foreigners to approach their homes.
18:14It's also difficult to make friends with the local tribe because they communicate in one of the most complex languages
18:21in the world.
18:22Scientists and linguists have been studying it for decades.
18:25And at the end of the 20th century, some researchers managed to make friends with the Sentinelese.
18:31In 1991, the islanders were invited to board a large ship.
18:35A team of anthropologists gave them bags with coconuts.
18:39Only several members of the tribe accepted the gifts.
18:42For centuries, the Sentinelese have been living on their own, far from civilization.
18:47And almost nobody wants to change this situation.
18:50What, and pass up the internet, fried food, and Facebook?
18:54You're kidding.
18:56In 2020, there are islands on our planet that have not been touched by the hand of modern man.
19:02Not even his fingers.
19:04Nature in these places has remained unchanged for thousands of years.
19:08What if people lived on one of these islands?
19:10They wouldn't know about civilization's progressive benefits or have seen a modern person.
19:16This island actually exists.
19:18And traveling to it is unlawful and involves many dangers.
19:22North Sentinel Island is located in India, in the Bay of Bengal.
19:27If you want to get there, you won't succeed.
19:29Because any travel to this place is prohibited by law since the middle of the 20th century.
19:34The Indian Coast Guard prevents any attempts to get there.
19:38But the law is not the only thing that will stop you on the way.
19:42Imagine sailing a small boat towards this island.
19:45The waters are crystal clear.
19:47You spot passing fish and beautiful coral reefs.
19:50Ahead, you can see the island's shape.
19:53It looks like paradise.
19:54You're so impressed by the beautiful view of this place that you don't notice a few dots appearing on the
20:00shore.
20:01As you sail closer, something whizzes past you and falls into the water.
20:06It's an arrow.
20:07The next arrow hits the hull of the boat.
20:09The dots on the shore are people, the local tribe Sentinelese.
20:14They stand with spears and bows and shout something at you in a strange language.
20:19They make it clear with gestures that you should get out of this place.
20:22They throw spears at you and fire arrows.
20:25Well, that's another clue, huh?
20:27Fortunately, you managed to get away.
20:30Sentinelese guards their island in such an aggressive way.
20:33Yet, they don't invite anyone to the island and voluntarily isolate themselves from the rest of the world.
20:39Even when a helicopter flew to North Sentinel, the tribe threw spears and arrows at it.
20:45The authorities forbid approaching this island because it's unsafe for tourists, you think?
20:50And to protect the islanders from the dangers of modern man.
20:54People can easily bring disease to the island and infect the inhabitants.
20:58The locals may not have immunity to even the flu or a simple cold.
21:02Despite all the prohibitions and threats to life, many people have tried to get there.
21:08They wanted to make friends with the tribe, and sometimes they did.
21:12In 1880, Officer Maurice Vidal Portman went to the island's shore and found that it was surrounded by a coral
21:19reef and limestone.
21:20On the island, there was a noble soil, which is ideal for growing coconut palms.
21:25Portman found several villages on the island, but didn't visit the locals and left this green paradise.
21:31Often, researchers gave the islanders gifts in the form of caught fish.
21:36The locals accepted it, asked for more, but still did not allow anyone to approach their home.
21:43Making friends with the natives was also tricky because they communicate in a complicated language.
21:48But over several decades, modern people managed to establish contact.
21:52In 1991, one of the locals approached a boat that sailed to the island and took the gift.
21:59In the same year, the islanders boarded a boat and accepted bags of coconuts from the anthropology team.
22:05This was one of the last positive interactions with the tribe.
22:09For centuries, sentinels have lived on their own, far from civilization, and India's government wants this to continue.
22:16So there.
22:18Another island is also beautiful, but much more unsafe.
22:23One mysterious small green island is found 25 miles off the coast of Brazil.
22:28It also represents paradise.
22:31Traces of modern man are present here in the form of a lighthouse.
22:35But there are no people inside.
22:37Sometimes the Coast Guard comes to the lighthouse to check whether everything is okay and whether there are no strangers
22:43on the island.
22:44People are not allowed on this island for their own good.
22:48The only inhabitants of this place are snakes.
22:51The island is home to about 4,000 species of these reptiles.
22:56They hang on trees and slither on the ground.
22:59Oh boy.
23:00They have no enemies and feed on birds that visit the island for recreation during a long flight.
23:07Oops.
23:07But the worst thing is that these snakes are among the most venomous in the world.
23:12The golden lancehead snake is a unique species that lives only in this place.
23:17Snake Island was once part of Brazil's mainland.
23:20But 10,000 years ago, the sea level rose and separated this place, turning it into an island.
23:27Animals were completely isolated here.
23:29And for thousands of years, snakes became the top of the food chain.
23:33Because there was no other prey on the island except birds, evolution gave these snakes a potent venom to catch
23:40prey with a single bite.
23:42Well, moving on.
23:44Next is a terrifying island located in the Xachimilco Canal, 11 miles from Mexico City.
23:50There are no venomous animals or a hostile local tribe.
23:54And the island is not forbidden to visit.
23:57But, most likely, you'll want to leave as soon as you arrive.
24:01Creepy dolls of various sizes are suspended in trees and old buildings all over the island.
24:07In the 50s, one of the residents of Mexico City moved alone to this island and began to hang it
24:13with dolls.
24:14For decades, he decorated this place, although it's difficult to call it decoration.
24:19He found dolls and dumps and canals around the island.
24:23The hanging dolls looked rather strange and attracted many tourists.
24:28But, over time, the dolls got older.
24:30They were covered with moss, turned green, and rotted.
24:34The dolls' faces have deformed and taken eerie shapes.
24:38But the worst thing is that the locals say they've seen these dolls come to life at night.
24:45Now for Bovet Island, one of the most mysterious islands in the world.
24:49This island is the most isolated place in the world.
24:53It's located in the South Atlantic Ocean, 1,600 miles away from South Africa and 1,100 miles from Antarctica.
25:00A perfect location for an introvert.
25:03It's challenging to reach the island, and typically, you can only do so from some large ships passing by.
25:09Almost the entire island is covered by a glacier, and in its center lies a volcanic crater.
25:16The only permanent residents of the island are penguins and seals.
25:20The island was discovered by a French explorer in 1739.
25:24However, the coordinates of this place were not recorded.
25:28For the next 69 years, the island was hidden.
25:31In the early 19th century, it was finally rediscovered.
25:35But a human foot came ashore only in 1927.
25:39Hopefully, it was still attached to some explorer.
25:42In the mid-20th century, people decided to build a weather station there.
25:47As soon as the researchers sailed to the island, they discovered something strange.
25:52They found a lifeboat in a small lagoon among the seals.
25:56It was in good condition and could still sail.
25:59The researchers found oars and an empty copper buoyancy tank not far from the boat.
26:04There were no markings or emblems on the boat.
26:07It seemed that a ship was wrecked, and the sailors escaped by this boat.
26:11However, no human tracks were found on the island.
26:15Who owned this boat and what happened to those who sailed on it remains a mystery.
26:21Now, let's end our trip with an island that is completely safe and even pleasant.
26:26What a surprise!
26:27Pig Beach is an island located in the Bahamas.
26:30This is not the official name of this place, but it's called that because of the local swimming pigs.
26:36The island is inhabited by these animals.
26:39They sunbathe on the beach, walk through the jungle, and beg for food from tourists.
26:44But the cool thing is, they can all swim really well.
26:47Cute pink and brown piglets splash in the water and grunt, begging for food.
26:52Thanks to feeding by tourists and caring locals, these animals managed to survive on the island.
26:58You can stay at a hotel on a nearby island and visit the pigs by boat.
27:03Nobody knows precisely where the pigs came from.
27:06According to one legend, the pigs survived a shipwreck and swam to this island.
27:11You can find several cats and goats there as well.
27:14Hmm, animal farm, anyone?