JS Blogcast 39 - Travel to the Most Remote Island on Earth
Bouvet Island is 19 square miles in size and 93% covered by a glacier. Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, Bouvet is more than 1,000 miles from Antarctica and 1,600 miles from Cape Town, Africa. The coast is harsh and foreboding, with steep glacier cliffs falling to black volcanic sand beaches. With no ports or anchorages of any sort, your best means of ingress is to land by helicopter. Once there, feel free to study the feeble vegetation consisting of moss and lichens. Other than that, seals, seabirds, and penguins will be your only companions for the duration of your stay.
The tricky part about travel to Bouvet Island is that, since it’s a nature preserve, you’ll likely be denied permission if you request to visit for tourist purposes only, though no one from Norway will likely be there to refuse entry. If you happen to be an arctic research biologist, geologist, or helicopter pilot, your chances of legal entry are better.
So if you really need time alone, stock up the yacht with extra batteries and whale blubber, tie the chopper down good to the landing deck and strike out for Bouvet Island. Don’t forget to send a postcard.