From deep jungles with exotic species, to newly discovered islands, here are 10 of some
of the least explored places on earth….
10.
Star Mountains, Papua New Guinea
The Star Mountains, in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, is a virtually undisturbed
region of the country.
Due to the difficulty of traveling in the area, it wasn’t until recently that researchers
were able to start detailed explorations to learn more about the wildlife that lives there.
The one noticeable man-made feature in the Star Mountains is one of the largest copper
mines in the world, located in the town of Tabubil.
In the past few years, teams have been using the town as a staging post to investigate
the surrounding jungle, and have made some amazing discoveries.
Using helicopters to get around, the forest was moist and mossy, and home to a wide variety
of different species.
They found that the Star Mountains are home to an incredibly diverse range of botanical
species; finding more than 700 different plant varieties, of which 28 had never been seen
before.
More than 180 butterfly species have also been found, along with 100 different types
of ants, and 26 species of frogs.
They also found a new type of reptile, and a new type of fish too.
As such an unexplored place, this is likely to be just the beginning of what lies in the
Star Mountains, and further expeditions will delve deeper and are sure to find even more
new species of animals and plants.
9.
Northern Forest Complex, Myanmar
Between 1962 and 2011, Myanmar, which was formerly known as Burma, was under the rule
of an oppressive military junta.
Among reports of gross human rights violations, and the suppression of voices that spoke out
against the leaders, the country was subject to international condemnation and sanctions.
One of the consequences to this was that the lush jungles of the country, in particular,
the northern forest complex, remained largely unexplored and uncharted.
With no international industry or tourism, speculation ran rife as to what kind of wildlife
could be hiding in the jungle- with suggestions it could be one of the last regions where
Asian elephants, clouded leopards, tigers, and sub bears still roamed free.
Following the deposition of the military junta in 2011, researchers were finally allowed
into the country to investigate the wildlife that was there- with a view to argue some
regions should be declared as nature reserves.
What they found in their 2-month journey was almost unbelievable to them.
Not only did they witness large herds of elephants, but a further 27 species that are classified
as being endangered or vulnerable- including sun bears and two types of rare cats.
Unspoiled by the actions seen elsewhere in the world, the wealth of wildlife shows that
it's been a good thing that large regions of Myanmar have rarely been explored, and
it's hoped that action can be taken to protect these species as the country becomes more
integrated with the international community.
8.
Cape Melville, Australia
Despite being an advanced country, there’s a region in Australia that’s often referred
to as ‘the lost world’.
Due to its unique geography, the Cape Melville mountain range has remained largely unexplored,
and it was only in recent years that researchers learned how much there was to discover here.
The mountain range is covered with millions of black granite boulders, many of which are
the size of cars and houses, and reach more than 1000 feet high.
The boulder fields at the base of the mountain had been explored, but a rainforest canopy
high up the mountain remained out of reach because of this impenetrable natural wall.
Within days of arriving in 2013, though, a research team had found three new species;
a leaf tail gecko, a gold-colored skink, and a brown spotted yellow boulder-dwelling frog-
none of which had ever been seen before.
Further expeditions are planned for the region, which is only reachable by helicopter, and
it’s hoped that the initial finds are only just the beginning of what’s out there.
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7.
Northern Patagonia, Chile
Northern Patagonia is the most sparsely populated region of the country and remains largely
unexplored because of the difficulty in accessing the area.
The ice field, full of glaciers and fjords, is one of the largest masses of ice in the
world outside of the poles and has only been accessible by road since the 1980s.
The Carretera Austral, as the ‘road’ is known, is made up mostly of gravel, and is
the only link with the outside world for the small towns and nature reserves.
Despite its remoteness, there are some stunning places to visit- such as the Marble Caves
of General Carrera Lake, the Baker River, and of course the glaciers.
Away from the well-trodden routes, the terrain is very inhospitable, though, so it’ll probably
be a long time until it can be explored more fully.
6.
Mount Namuli, Mozambique
Mozambique is a country that's struggled with a civil war which, along with the difficulties
in accessing some regions, have left its second highest mountain, Mount Namuli, one of the
last mountains Africa to remain virtually unexplored.
The first scientific expedition on the southeastern face of the 7936-foot tall mountain took place
in 2011, and since then only a handful more have scaled the heights.
The trip was well worth it, though, with unexplored hanging forests and outcrops of vegetation
being home to various species, such as 5 types of ant never before seen in Mozambique, a
species of snake that was new to science, and the southernmost spotting of the elusive
snake-like amphibian called a Caecilian.
While the political climate in the country is now more open for explorations of places
like Mount Namuli, there still remain a number of obstacles.
The remoteness and lack of roads make access difficult, and because of the civil war, there
are still unmarked land mines hidden all around.
Despite this, a few intrepid explorers still make the journey, and one day this place's
biodiversity will be much better understood.
5.
Vale Do Javari, Brazil
The Amazon rainforest is well known for its dense undergrowth and wealth of wildlife,
but most of it still remains largely unexplored.
One region, in particular, is particularly difficult to reach…
Vale Do Javari in Brazil.
Home to some of the most dangerous animals on earth, such as jaguars, anacondas, piranhas,
black caimans, and Brazilian wandering spiders, as well as at least 14 uncontacted tribes…
this is a very inhospitable place.
The year-round rain, heavy flooding, and turbulent currents in the river make it extremely difficult
to safely explore- and there's also the obvious risks involved with meeting the tribes for
fear of introducing new diseases and destroying their way of life.
Vale Do Javari is, therefore, a restricted area with strict no-contact laws, which means
very few outsiders have had the chance to explore.
For the sake of the people that live there, let's hope it remains this way for a long
time to come!
4.
Kamchatka, Russia
Known locally as the ‘land of Volcanoes’, the Kamchatka peninsula is on the extreme
eastern edge of Russia.
The region is covered with volcanoes and geysers, glaciers and mountains… and has been visited
by very few outsiders.
In fact, until 1990, it was closed to all foreigners, and Russians needed a special
permit to be able to enter.
Those who are lucky enough to visit, though, are treated to one of the world’s last true
wildernesses.
With a wide range of plant varieties and countless animal and bird species… including a large
population of brown bears, there’s possibly nowhere else on earth with such a pristine
landscape.
The volcanoes here are a UNESCO world heritage site, and the 10,121-foot tall edge of the
crater lake of Tolbachik is a particularly beautiful spot.
Tourism and expeditions are becoming far more common in the region now, so it might not
be long until far more is known of Kamchatka.
3.
New Hebrides Trench, Pacific Ocean
Deep-sea trenches are notoriously difficult to explore.
While the Mariana trench in the western Pacific has drawn attention because it's the deepest
known one, the least explored is the New Hebrides Trench, which is on the edge of the Coral
Sea between the islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
The trench is 750 miles long and 45 miles wide and reaches depths of more than 25,000
feet.
It was first discovered in 1910 by a German navy vessel, but the first team to actually
investigate the waters of the trench visited in late 2013.
During this expedition, large grey cusk eels were found as deep as 23,000 feet, along with
various other species of eel, and crustaceans such as bright red prawns, that scurried around
on the seafloor.
The most surprising thing to the researchers was the lack of fish called grenadiers, which
have been found in most other deep-sea trenches in the region.
Why they haven’t made it here, and what else may be taking their place is not yet
clear, and will require far more investigation to find out.
2.
Greenland
In a world where satellites orbit and image the surface daily, it’s very rare that a
new island is found.
That’s exactly what happened in Greenland, though, in 2005, when receding ice revealed
a new land mass.
Resembling a bony claw, this island off the coast of the country has long evaded cartographers
and had been thought to be a mountaintop emerging above an ice cap.
It was only in when an explorer noticed something unusual as he was flying over Greenland, in
an area where the ice had melted, that the truth was revealed.
A series of NASA images of the region show how this happened.
In 1985 it was completely covered in snow and ice and looked to be a part of the mainland.
By 2005, the ice had retreated substantially, and revealed the formation to be an island…
one that likely hadn't been separated from the rest of the country for tens of thousands
of years.
It just goes to show how little we really know about frozen landscapes.
Despite all of the technology at our disposal, assumptions still have to be made about how
land features connect together.
As the ice sheets continue to recede, it’s thought that lots of new islands may be uncovered,
and re-work our understanding of the geography in the area.
1.
North Sentinel Island, India
North Sentinel Island is a part of the Andaman archipelago in the Bay of Bengal in India
and is completely off-limits to outsiders.
The reason for this is because the island is home to the Sentinelese, one of the last
uncontacted tribes to remain unaffected by modern civilization, and a group of people
who have consistently rejected contact with the outside world.
If this sounds familiar, it may be because of the tragic story of an American visitor
who was killed by the tribe on the beach moments after his arrival.
It's perhaps no surprise, then, that this is often referred to as the most dangerous
island in the world, and one that very few people have ever visited to safely return.
We, therefore, know very little about this place, its people, and its wildlife.
In an attempt to preserve their way of life, a 3-mile exclusion zone has been created around
the island so, as things stand, there are no plans to explore it.
The influx of tourists to the area has affected the lives of other tribes on nearby islands,
though, and there’s great concern that this may be the ultimate fate faced by the Sentinelese.
It's such a stunning location, surrounded by clear blue waters, that it may not be feasible
for this tribe to be left alone forever.
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