PHOTOGRAPHY: JUAN KOEGELENBERG; GETTY IMAGES; ALAMY.COM
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
A vast country with an unspoilt culture, Papua New
Guinea has resisted globalisation largely thanks to
its remoteness. The interior offers astonishing
wildlife, there is world-class diving off the coasts,
and there are fascinating experiences to be had.
You won’t see another yacht while you’re there, but
you’ll need a chopper to access the interior.ROSS SEA
Considered the remotest place on earth that you
can reach by sea, the Ross Sea lies thousands of
kilometres south-east of New Zealand. New breeds
of explorer yacht are now capable of reaching it
safely, and the rewards are spectacular. The total
isolation, stunning wildlife and ice-clad mountains
make the five-day passage well worth it.THE AMAZON BASIN
Local knowledge is essential here, but the rewards
can be breathtaking: river dolphin, anaconda,
vibrant bird life and indigenous tribes all live here.
The problem is mandatory local pilots demand
“outrageous” fees, according to Rob McCallum of
EYOS. “It’s not political instability – it’s the fact
that it’s so bureaucratic,” he says.ON THE RADAR:
BIKINI ATOLL,
MARSHALL ISLANDS
This small coral deposit 3,000 kilometres north of Vanuatu in the Pacific
Ocean has given its name to the ubiquitous swimwear, but something more
sinister is its true legacy. In the 1940s and 50s, it was the site of more than 20
nuclear tests by the US, leaving Bikini itself, plus many neighbouring islands,
dangerously radioactive.
With the passage of time, there have been various attempts to establish
tourism on Bikini but, at present, there is just an occasional visit from a live-
aboard dive ship. Diving is the star attraction here as the sea life has grown
abundant after 60 years without human interference – nowhere more so than
among the “ghost” fleet of sunken US naval ships used as targets for the
nuclear tests. You won’t find anywhere else on the planet where you can get
up close to so many wrecks in one spot.
In 2016, researchers from Columbia University found that radiation levels
on Bikini were 20 times higher than in New York, and nearly twice the safe
long-term maximum, making it unsuitable for habitation. This is bad news
for islanders who wish to return, but thankfully not dangerous for visitors.
Complete self-sufficiency is a must, as food and water available on the atoll
is not safe either, making it an ideal destination for an explorer yacht. “We
have run trips there, but it’s not on everybody’s radar,” says Rob McCallum
of EYOS. “For most people, the radioactivity is off-putting. Those that do go
there are almost exclusively divers. All the wrecks are open, but you have to
run through the permitting process.”A diver inspects the
wreckage of USS
Anderson, which
was sunk in nuclear
tests in July 1946191I