Islands around the world are abandoned for one reason or another. Sometimes the harsh climate makes the island inhabitable. while other times the island just isn’t very nice to live on. There are now many islands that are devoid of human life and have been for decades, and sometimes, the reasons behind it are quite strange…
Hashima Island, Japan
At its peak, Hasima Island boasted 5,000 inhabitants. Located in Japan, this once beautiful city was abandoned in the late 70s. No one has lived on the island since.
Coal on the Coast
After the coal ran out on this once thriving city, there was nothing to supplement the economy. The town was left by the homeowners to decay by the sea.
Open for Business
Today, almost 40 years later, the city has reopened to tourists interested in exploring the ruins of the once bustling metropolis.
On the Silver Screen
The site was used for the filming of the 2012 James Bond film, “Skyfall”, joining the most people on the island since its abandonment.
St. Kilda, Scotland
St. Kilda Island evacuated its resident in 1930. Those residents never returned to their beloved home by the sea.
Life on the Scottish Shore
Life on the island was not ideal. Though perfect for puffins, the humans of the island suffered from malnutrition, disease, and isolation. Slowly, people became sick of being and left the island.
Kicking and Screaming
Eventually, only a few people remained on the island. They had to be removed from the premises and relocated to the mainland in 1930.
St. Kilda Today
Today, the National Trust for Scotland owns the island. It is identified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors of the island will find many of the formerly empty homes restored. There’s even an island bar called the Puff Inn.
Suakin Island, Sudan
Built by Ramses III in 10th Century BCE, this ancient ruin still stands in Sudan. Once a gate of wealth and prosperity, today it gathers dust as it’s inhabitants left in the 19th century.
Story of Suakin
The island was originally used as a port with stunning architecture for the era. Buildings were made of coral and featured intricate carvings of wood and stone.
Slavery in Sudan
Eventually, the port became a center for East Africa slave trading. When trade diminished, the city fell with it.
Suakin Today
Today, not much of the former city stands. Though there is a rehabilitation project underway, the town is largely in ruins.
Deception Island, Antarctic
Deception Island might have earned its name due to the large amount of fame it earned over the years. Many nations fought for the right to own this now inhabitable land.
An Explosive End
The looming volcano erupted twice, ending the battle for the icy island. No longer did Chile, Norway, Argentina, UK or Spain want the site.
Real Research
Though once known for being the prime spot for research, especially concerning whales and volcanic activity, the active volcano ended the feuds.
Deception Island Today
Today, Spain and Argentina both conduct some research at the location during the summer. Additionally, photographers often come to capture the spooky essence of the now empty island.
Holland Island, Maryland
Holland Island sat alone in the Chesapeake Bay, a 5-mile long blip in the water. Once home to hundreds of seamen and farmers, it’s now empty.
Falling to Pieces
The ground beneath the island slowly started eroding. All the homes began to crumble and fall off into the bay.
The Last One Standing
The final house fell in 2010, though no one had lived anywhere on the island since 1922.
A Flood of Bad News
Though the island was doomed to fail, it also suffered near-constant flooding, which sped up its inevitable demise.
McNab’s Island, Nova Scotia
Abandoned after World War II, this island hosts some of history’s darkest secrets.
A Hub of Hustlers
Many years ago, the location operated a secret, Prohibition-era distillery, several military forts, garden, and a lighthouse. All of these were left by inhabitants once they disappeared.
A Family Affair
Peter McNab settled on the island in the 1780s. Before his arrival, only fishermen lived there. Peter’s lineage stayed on the island until 1934, when the small number of inhabitants forced them off the island.
McNab’s Island Today
Today, the island is open to tourists and visitors.
Brentford Ait, England
Have you ever partied so hard you shut down a bar? How about an island? That’s what happened to Three Swans Pub on Brentford Ait.
A Rowdy Reputation
Three Swans Pub was one of the few institutions on the 5-acre island. Hosting rambunctious parties every night, the neighbors across the river hated the famous bar.
No-Noise Neighbor
Neighbors hated it so much that in 1812, Robert Hunter bought the island and shut down the pub, ending the party and evacuating the islanders.
Brentford Ait Today
Today, Brentford Ait is largely overgrown with trees, but visitors can find other party pubs nearby.
Ross Island, India
Located in South Andaman, India, this island was once known as the “Paris of the East. “
Hot Potato
Many countries owned the island before it was eventually abandoned. It was a British penal colony, Japanese war bunkers, and Indian Navy base.
British Control
British control made the land prosperous in the early days. Later, the colonizers made dance halls, clubs, stores, pools, and more.
Ross Island Today
Ross Island is now a safe spot for tourists, though it is largely overgrown with trees and brush.
Dry Tortugas, Florida
Previously the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico, this fortress now sits empty off the coast of Key West.
The Goal of the Gulf
The fortress was built as a shipping corridor but became a Navy anti-piracy fort. It was never fully operational.
From Civil War to Civilians
Prisoners were kept at the fort during the Civil War. The base was abandoned in 1874 and registered as a national monument.
Dry Tortugas Today
Today, visitors can walk throughout the island. However, it’s only available by ferry or seaplane.
King’s Island, Alaska
After 50 years, the decaying remains of King’s Island still stand. Mounted on the side of a cliff, the view is both mystifying and terrifying.
Inupiat Inhabitants
The population once consisted of crab and seal hunters, the town was left empty when the only school on the island closed down in the 1900s.
Mainland Migration
Without their education, the kids moved to the mainland to go to school. Without their children, parents didn’t have enough manpower to operate farms, and had to move to the mainland as well.
King’s Island Today
King’s Island was evacuated because the school shut down. The school was shut down due to fear of rock slides. The school still stands today.
Cumberland Island, Georgia
Cumberland Island once housed Native Americans. Later, it was taken by the Spanish, and then French pirates.
A Sunny Settlement
The huge land became an English settlement to fight off the Spanish, and eventually a working plantation.
The Dungeness House
It’s final resting place was a mansion built for the Carnegie family. Known as the Dungeness House, the house was a retreat for the wealthy family until it burned down in 1959.
Cumberland Island Today
Today, many structures still stand from the early days on the island. Additionally, there’s a lot of natural wildlife.
San Giorgio, Italy
San Giorgio was once a monastery in 1,000 CE. Sadly this and other monasteries on the island vanished after a fire ravaged the island. In World War I, it became a bunker base.
Mine, All Mine
Later, the island was used as a training base by the Nazis to learn how to plant and use underwater mines. They abandoned it after the war.
View from the Shore
Today, visitors can see the remnants of buildings from the opposite shore.
San Giorgio Today
All of the military artifacts and religious remains have been removed from the island, and all that stands are a few small buildings.
Poveglia Plague Island, Italy
Poveglia Plague Island might give you an eerie vibe. That’s because the island is famously haunted.
A Plagued Past
Victims of the Black Plague were taken to the Island to die in isolation as a means of quarantine. Over 160,000 people were sent to the island. It’s estimated that the soil of the island is 50% human ashes.
Haunted Health
In the 20s, a mental health hospital opened on the island. Despite rumors of experimentations on patients, their doors were open for almost 50 years.
Poveglia Plague Island Today
After thousands of deaths and rumors of doctors torturing their patients, this place is known as one of the most haunted locations in the world.
Discovery Island, Florida
Once a tourist hotspot, this Disney favorite has been abandoned since the 1990s. After reports of deadly conditions, the company decided the risk was too great and shut down the island.
A Disney Darling
The resort boasted exotic animals, aviary, flamingo pool, and a beach for visitors. It was a prime spot for Florida tourists throughout the era.
Danger in Disney
The park closed in 1999 for many reasons. There were wild animals, mishandling, and deadly bacteria in the water.
Discovery Island Today
Discovery Island is closed to visitors and forbidden from tourists.
Bunny Island, Japan
It was once used to make poisonous gases. Today, it houses thousands of free roaming bunny rabbits.
Grotesque Gases
Used in World War II by the Japanese Imperial Army to make poisonous gases, the island was home to thousands of deaths. About 80,000 people were killed in China this way.
Rabbit Invasion
It is said that the rabbits were brought to the island to test the deadly gases. When the operations shut down, the bunnies were released to the island wildlife.
Bunny Island Today
Today, over 300 wild rabbits roam the forests. Visitors are welcome to visit the furry creatures.
Palmyra Atoll, Hawaii
No one has ever settled on the island. However, it is rumored to be the site of many shipwrecks and treasure.
Family Ties
The island was owned by a wealthy family in 1922 who allowed the US Navy to use it as a refuel station in World War II.
Lonely Shores
No one was often on the island except for a few scientists who stayed there during temporary research roles. However, the island is said to be cursed from an unsolved double murder.
Palmyra Atoll Today
These days, the island belongs to the Nature Conservancy, a non-profit group. The island is said to be haunted.
Antipodes Islands, New Zealand
Deemed too inhospitable to live, these islands are known for shipwrecks and failed survival.
Seal Slayers
The first inhabitants were seal hunters, killing over 60,000 seals in the 1800s.
Antipodes Today
Because of the harsh conditions, no one lives here currently. There was a shipwreck in 1999 that killed 2 people.
Jaco Island
No one lives on Jaco Island because it is considered sacred land. Tourists are welcome to check it out for a day though! It has been a National Park since 2007.
Two Seas
It is considered sacred because it is where two seas meet.
Oh deer!
Deer on the islands have adapted over time and are accustomed to drinking salt water.
Clipperton Island
IN 1917, the 100 inhabitants of the island were cut off from food and supplies until eventually, only 3 women remained. They were rescued but the island was soon after abandoned.
Clipperton Today, Central America
Clipperton is now empty, though sometimes visited for scientific studies.
North Brothers Island, New York
Previously a smallpox quarantine site, the island has housed many ill people.
Center for Disease
It was a Typhoid hospital, venereal disease hospital, rehab center, veteran housing, and finally a bird sanctuary.
Haunted Hideaway
Because of the amount of deaths of the years, it is said to be haunted.
Fort Carroll Island, Maryland
Though built to protect Baltimore during the Civil War, it was not completed in time.
Fort Carroll Today
It was abandoned by 1921, and determined too decayed to ever restore, and remains crumbling to this day.
Lazzaretto Nuovo, Italy
The island operated for years as a quarantine facility until it eventually became a military facility.
Lazzaretto Nuovo Today
Today, it is a cultural museum site and is open for tourists.
Tree Island, China
The only inhabitants are military troops, though tourists can visit the island with permission. It has disputed ownership, being claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
No Man’s Land, England
After failing as a military fort, the island was set to be a resort, but it never succeeded. An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease cemented its demise. It has been empty since 2009.