Account Login/Registration

Access KamloopsBCNow using your Facebook account, or by entering your information below.


Facebook


OR


Register

Privacy Policy

This remote island has over 17 tonnes of garbage on it

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.

<who>Photo Credit: Google Maps

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.

<who>Photo Credit: National Academy of Sciences

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.

<who>Photo Credit: National Academy of Sciences

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.

<who>Photo Credit: National Academy of Sciences

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.

<who>Photo Credit: National Academy of Sciences

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.



Send your comments, news tips, typos, letter to the editor, photos and videos to [email protected].



Weather
webcam icon

weather-icon
Fri
13℃

weather-icon
Sat
13℃

weather-icon
Sun
17℃

weather-icon
Mon
18℃

weather-icon
Tue
20℃

weather-icon
Wed
13℃
current feed webcam icon

Top Stories

Follow Us

Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Linkedin
Follow Our Newsletter
Privacy Policy