Buzz
Imagine being stranded in the vast, infinite ocean, with only a never-ending expanse of blue surrounding you, desperately hoping for any sign of land. When your gaze finally spots something resembling a mound of land rising from the waves, you would likely thank your lucky stars for the apparent salvation. Clinging to a piece of debris or barely holding on in your lifeboat, tears of relief would fill your eyes as you think you've been saved.
But what if the shore you washed up on turned out to be worse than you could have ever anticipated? What if instead of refuge, it offered only the promise of a different kind of demise? In that case, you might as well head back to the water, because there’s nothing here that will offer you salvation...
10. The Farallon Islands
So you've ended up shipwrecked off the coast of San Francisco. You can't quite make it to the shore, but that's okay because there's a group of islands and sea stacks not far ahead.
When it comes to the Farallon Islands, also known as the Farrallones, you might actually be better off out of the water and onto the land. The downside, however, is that over 47,800 barrels of radioactive waste were dumped in the surrounding waters between 1946 and 1970.
The unfortunate reality is that these barrels are difficult to locate and could be leaking into the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. On the bright side, the land itself might be safe, and there’s an abundance of fish to catch... though whether they’re radioactive is another matter.
9. Isla De Las Munecas
The odds of being shipwrecked in the canals of Xochimilco, located south of Mexico City, are slim, but you never know what could happen. Just take a look at politics for proof.
Let’s imagine this scenario: You find yourself on a small island, perhaps intoxicated, stumbling toward it as it offers the faintest hope of escape. As you look around, you realize there are dolls everywhere—old dolls, torsos of dolls hanging from trees, heads of dolls mounted on sticks, with their empty eye sockets staring back at you.
Why are these dolls here? The tragic story behind it is that the island's caretaker, Don Julian Santana Barrera, discovered a drowned little girl floating in the canal. Unable to save her, he was deeply moved by the incident.
In an effort to honor her, he hung a doll he found nearby on a tree. Over time, he continued hanging more and more dolls to appease the spirit of the girl, whom he believed haunted him. Decades later, Barrera was found drowned in the same spot where he had discovered the girl's body.
Staying on Isla de las Munecas might actually be safe—unless, of course, the dolls actually whisper, watch you, and drive you mad, as the legend suggests.
8. Isola Della Gaiola
Being shipwrecked in the Gulf of Naples and somehow washed up on the island of Gaiola might seem like a great stroke of luck at first. You're only 30 meters (100 ft) from the mainland, and there’s an abandoned villa to seek refuge in.
The island actually consists of two islets connected by a stone arch, high above the water. You might think it's a perfect spot for a photo, especially since you don't have a phone to capture it. How peaceful it seems, you think. What you don’t know is that the island is cursed.
Since the 1920s, the owners of Gaiola have met tragic fates. Hans Braun, the owner, was murdered and his body wrapped in a rug. His wife drowned. Otto Grunback purchased the villa and died of a heart attack shortly after. Maurice-Yves Sandoz, the next owner, took his own life. Baron Karl Paul Langheim went bankrupt. Gianni Agnelli, the head of Fiat, lost his son to suicide and his nephew to cancer at age 33. Paul Getty bought the island, and his grandson was kidnapped. The island’s last owner, Gianpasquale Grappone, was jailed shortly after acquiring it (although that one may have been his own doing, rather than the island’s curse).
So, do you think you’ll be able to survive the curse of the island?
7. Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is a beautiful, picturesque place with its white sandy beaches, palm trees, and crystal-clear waters. If your boat were to capsize and you washed up on its shores, you'd probably think you were lucky. And for a while, you would be. At least, until you realize you can’t eat anything that grows there.
The Marshall Islands, including Bikini Atoll, were the site of nuclear testing by the US government from 1946 to 1958. The native Bikinians were relocated, against their will, to nearby Kili Island. Over 23 nuclear weapons were tested on Bikini Atoll, including the Castle Bravo hydrogen bomb, which was 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.
So, what happens if you end up on Bikini Atoll now? You could drink the water, live off the land, and safely eat the fish—but if you start adding coconuts or breadfruit to your diet for an extended period, you would end up ingesting deadly levels of radiation.
6. Ilha Da Queimada Grande
For many, the worst possible place to be shipwrecked would be an island teeming with venomous snakes. Ilha da Queimada Grande, located off the coast of Brazil, is home to up to 4,000 golden lancehead vipers—deadly creatures that only exist on this island and are, ironically, endangered.
There was once a lighthouse keeper on the island. According to local legend, the snakes managed to enter through the windows and killed the entire family in one night, chasing them through the jungle before the final deadly bites on the beach. The Brazilian government enforces strict regulations about who can visit the island, requiring that all trips be accompanied by a doctor.
If you find yourself stranded on Snake Island, your best bet might just be to turn around and head back into the water.
5. Plum Island
If you were unlucky enough to wash ashore on Plum Island, off the coast of Long Island, you might think you've stumbled into either the secret hideout of a supervillain or just another boring research facility. Either way, you wouldn't be far off—the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, a US government research facility studying animal diseases, is located there.
The island has been the subject of various conspiracy theories. Perhaps it's due to the disease center, or maybe it's because of the bizarre carcasses that have washed up on its shores, including the infamous Montauk Monster, a mysterious creature found in July 2008 (though experts have largely concluded it was just a raccoon). Or maybe it’s simply because government experiments always seem to have a dark reputation.
There have been efforts to sell Plum Island, but environmental groups have fought to block the sale. As it stands, the island is a place full of secrets, foot-and-mouth disease, and who knows what else. If you wash up there, you might just find yourself bitten by a radioactive spider or two.
4. North Sentinel Island
As you row your small lifeboat through the crystal-clear waters of the Bay of Bengal, you spot an island surrounded by mangroves and white sandy shores. Just as you think you might have found safety, you hear a voice calling out to you. But before you can react, it’s too late—game over.
The Sentinelese, the indigenous people of North Sentinel Island, are one of the few remaining societies on Earth that have had no contact with the outside world. Anyone who ventures onto their island is met with hostility. They’ve never had visitors and live without modern technology.
The Indian government has decided to leave the Sentinelese undisturbed, enforcing a 4.8-kilometer (3 miles) exclusion zone around their island. There’s growing concern that tourism on nearby islands could introduce diseases to the Sentinelese or provoke further attacks. The Sentinelese likely remain better off with their isolation.
3. Ramree Island
Picture this: your ship is bombed in the Bay of Bengal, and the only option is to swim toward the nearest land. After a grueling swim, you make it, and your hastily packed waterproof map reveals that you’ve reached Ramree Island.
Your only goal now is survival. Just keep swimming. Turn around. Pray you get picked up by the enemy—just keep swimming.
Ramree Island, a sizable landmass off Burma's coast, seems calm today, but during World War II, it was the site of what’s believed to be the largest human massacre by animals in recorded history. In 1945, Japanese forces on Ramree found themselves in a brutal clash with Allied troops, who were determined to seize control of the island. Nearly 1,000 Japanese soldiers fled through the swamps to reach reinforcements on the other side of the island.
Exhausted, thirsty, and covered in mosquito bites, the soldiers were devoured by massive saltwater crocodiles. As the Allied forces waited for Japanese troops to surrender, they could only hear the terrifying sounds of the massacre. Some accounts suggest that only 20 soldiers survived, utterly traumatized by the horror they had just witnessed.
If you ever find yourself shipwrecked on Ramree Island in the 1940s, your best bet would be to hop straight into a time machine and get out of there fast.
2. Gruinard Island
Washing up on the relatively flat and treeless shores of Gruinard Island in Scotland might seem like a stroke of luck. That is, until you realize you could be about to meet a gruesome end—or maybe just spend time with a few sheep.
Gruinard Island is a nondescript patch of land, home to test sheep. These sheep are used by scientists to determine if they are susceptible to a particularly deadly strain of anthrax. During World War II, the British government conducted experiments by bombing sheep on the island with bombs laced with Vollum 14578, a strain of anthrax intended for wartime use.
In the course of their experiments, the British government thoroughly contaminated Gruinard Island, leading them to abandon it entirely. Signs were placed in an attempt to prevent people from landing. Yet in the 1980s, a group named Operation Dark Harvest began sending tainted soil from the island to various government agencies in hopes of getting the island cleaned up.
The island’s decontamination process began in 1986, and by 1990, it was declared safe. Since then, there have been no reports of anthrax among the sheep on Gruinard. While things are looking up, you might still want to avoid this particular part of Scotland if you find yourself shipwrecked.
1. Miyakejima
If you find yourself shipwrecked near Miyakejima, Japan, your best hope is that you’re equipped with a gas mask. That’s because this island is home to a dangerous and active volcanic gas situation.
The small town of Miyakejima is located at the base of the island's active volcano, also named Miyakejima. This volcano regularly emits clouds of sulfuric gases, making it a hazardous place to live. It is mandatory for all residents to carry a gas mask at all times. When the air turns toxic, they don their masks, but at times, the air quality becomes so poor that the residents are forced to evacuate.
Visitors are also required to carry a gas mask. Did you happen to pack one in your lifeboat? You’d better hope there’s a spare one available!
