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It’s a little slice of paradise, but it’s been left in shambles.
The island is called Henderson Island and it’s located in a remote part of the South Pacific Ocean.
Located about 5,000 kilometres from the nearest major town, Henderson Island is rarely visited by humans.
That hasn’t stopped it from collecting approximately 37.7 million pieces of garbage, which equals more than 17 tonnes.
Obviously, it wasn’t left there by one of the rare human expeditions to the remote island, so how can one of the world’s most remote places be the most polluted?
The answer is that Henderson Island acts as a bit of a sink for the Pacific Ocean.
According to a study done by National Academy of Sciences, the pattern of winds and currents in the region push garbage and debris in the water towards the island.
“Henderson Island is located on the western boundary of the South Pacific Gyre, a known plastic-accumulation zone,” the study explains.
The density of debris is the highest reported in the world, with 68% of it now buried below the sand on the island’s beaches.
Wildlife has seemingly adapted to the island’s conditions, with a prime example being hundreds of crabs that now make their homes out of plastic debris.
The 37.7 million pieces of garbage is equal to the amount of plastic the world produces in less than two seconds.
You can take a walk along the beaches and see it for yourself via Google Maps Street View, which has somehow documented a small part of the island.
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