With an extent of around 41,100,000 square miles, the Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean in the world, making up about 20% of the planet’s surface and 29% of its water surface. There are more than 50 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, some of which form an archipelago, which is a chain or collection of islands. There must be a few land masses scattered about it.
Many of the newly discovered islands were once or are presently populated by people. Let’s discuss a few of the islands in the Atlantic Ocean, their histories, and the people who have lived there.
Several processes, such as sediment deposition, glacial retreat, and continental plate collision, can result in the formation of islands. Depending on where they are, these little or massive bodies of land can have very distinct biomes.
Many of the islands in the Atlantic have changed in terms of their vegetation and animal life as a result of human colonization. Every island is unique and fascinating in some way. Let’s examine the best islands in the Atlantic.
Ascension Island: One of the Remote Islands in The Atlantic
Ascension Island is a remote volcanic island that is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean around 1,400 miles away from the Brazilian coast. Joo da Nova discovered this island in 1501, on the day known as “Ascension Day,” and this is how the name came to be.
Following its discovery, passing ships tended to use it to gather meat. They accomplished this by killing seabirds and enormous female green turtles that used the island as a nesting site.
Today, Ascension Island serves a variety of functions. The island currently houses the BBC World Service Atlantic Relay Station, an Anglo-American signals intelligence facility, and a European Space Agency rocket monitoring station in addition to the Royal Air Force Station of the United Kingdom.
One of the four ground antennas that help the Global Positioning System function is located on the island.
Over the years, numerous new creatures, including donkeys, cats, rats, lambs, and goats, have been introduced to the island. The land crab, green turtles, and the Ascension frigate bird are some examples of native land creatures.
To safeguard its distinctive ecosystem, the UK government declared Ascension Island would turn into a sizable marine reserve in 2016.
Saint Helena
A lonely volcanic island in the Atlantic called Saint Helena is located around 1,200 miles west of the coast of southwest Africa. The fact that Napoleon Buonaparte was exiled to this island after losing the Battle of Waterloo is what makes it most famous.
Saint Helena was found in 1502 by Joao da Nova and is regarded as one of the most isolated islands in the world. The second-oldest overseas territory of the UK is this one.
When Saint Helena Island was first discovered, it had plenty of fresh water, trees, and other kinds of flora and fauna, including the red crab. Around 200 different bird species can be found on St. Helena, which Birdlife International has designated as a key area for bird conservation.
Many species that originally called the island home have vanished as a result of deforestation, including the indigenous Saint Helena Hoopoe. To bring back the trees that were there before the island was colonised, reforestation for a piece of the northeastern corner of the island began in 2000.
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha is located 1,732 miles off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. One of the world’s most remote inhabited islands is these volcanic islands. Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and a collection of tiny islands together known as the Nightingale Islands make up the archipelago.
The Nightingale Islands are currently deserted, Gough Island and Inaccessible Island are natural preserves, and Tristan da Cunha is populated.
Numerous animals and flora can be found on these islands. 13 different kinds of seabirds breed on the islands, where the Tristan albatross, spectacled petrel, and Atlantic petrel are known to only nest. According to BirdLife International, this has elevated the region’s importance for bird conservation.
On these islands, invasive house mice have turned into a nuisance. The group of islands lacks the tools necessary to combat exotic wildlife and plants. It is believed that seal hunters introduced the mice in the 19th century. Compared to typical home mice, the mice have grown to be 50% bigger.
Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago
Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago is a collection of 15 small islets and rocks located approximately 620 miles off the northeastern coast of Brazil. These little islands were formed by geological uplift rather than volcanic activity.
They are the only area above sea level where the abyssal mantle is visible. Charles Darwin paid the island a visit in 1832 and catalogued the flora and fauna he saw there, which included two birds, a sizable crab, and a few bugs.
The Portuguese Navy’s Saint Peter caravel made its way to the islands in 1511 and made its first discovery. The Saint Paul caravel saved the fleet after Saint Peter crashed into the islands, giving the islands their name.
The Fernando de Noronha Environmental Protection Area presently includes the Islands, which were designated as an environmental protected area. The Brazilian Navy moved in and has been there ever since 1998.
Trindade and Martim Vaz
A collection of six tiny islands called the Trindade and Martim Vaz can be found close to the centre of the Atlantic Ocean. They are located 680 kilometres inland from Espirito Santo’s coast.
The biodiversity of these primarily desert islands has drastically decreased as a result of the arrival of alien species including sheep, goats, and pigs. Since the 1950s, several native species have gone extinct.
Portuguese navigators first came across the islands in 1502. The Colubrina glandulosa tree forest was present on the island when it was first found. The same trees went extinct locally after invasive species were introduced, which caused several springs on the island to dry up.
The largest green sea turtle breeding habitat in Brazil right now is between Trindade and Martim Vaz. Many sea birds, notably the endemic great frigatebird, use them as breeding grounds. Trindade Island has also served as a nursery for humpback whales’ offspring.
Azores
The Azores, a collection of nine islands, are located in the centre of the Atlantic Ocean, some 930 miles northwest of the coast of Morocco. Corvo, Flores, Faial, Pico, Graciosa, So Jorge, Terceira, So Miguel, and Santa Maria are the names of these nine volcanic islands.
Laurel and cypress forests, together with some sparsely populated parts and agricultural areas, cover the majority of the island.
There are numerous indigenous plants and animals on the island. Out of 6,000 species, 411 are unique to the islands. Arthropods and mollusks make up the majority of the indigenous creatures. On the island, new animals are frequently found.
Azores bullfinch, Monteiro’s storm petrel, and Azores noctule are some of the creatures that are unique to the islands. Islands near the Azores include marine life-rich regions like the Dollabarat Reef. Many different creatures, including sharks, manta rays, whales, and sea turtles, can be found here.
In the past 600 years, a significant percentage of the vegetation has been destroyed by colonization for use as building materials for tools, dwellings, boats, and firewood. As a result, over half of the insects on Graciosa are now extinct or soon will be.
Invasive plant species like hydrangeas have taken over some deserted agricultural sites. Because native plant species cannot grow back after being swamped by invading ones, invasive species can be a problem for islands like the Azores.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are two examples of islands you can discover in the centre of the Atlantic Ocean. There are 12 islands between South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The South Sandwich Islands are a collection of 11 little islands that are situated southeast of South Georgia.
South Georgia is the main and by far the largest island. The islands bear the names of John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, and King George III of the United Kingdom.
These islands are considered tundra because of their frigid environment. Depending on the season, the average temperature ranges from 8 °C (46.4 °F) to 10 °C (14 °F) on each island. The majority of the islands are permanently coated in layers of ice or snow as a result of the frigid temperatures.
Few native plant species and some invasive plant species can be found on the parts of the islands that aren’t covered in snow or ice.
King penguins, Macaroni penguins, prions, shags, skuas, and indigenous species including the South Georgia shag, South Georgia pipit, and South Georgia pintail all call South Georgia home. On the islands, there are no indigenous mammals. There have been introduced creatures including brown rats and reindeer.
Bermuda
Bermuda is a group of 181 islands connected by bridges, although appearing to be a single island. In 1505, the islands were found by the Spanish explorer Juan de Bermdez.
The islands were covered in Bermuda cedar forests and uninhabited when they were first found. 15 of the 165 native plant species, including the titular cedar, are endemic.
The island now has a thriving plant life, including fruit trees, thanks to the semi-tropical environment. The island has only five native mammal species, all of which are bats. The islands are also home to other creatures like birds, lizards, and turtles.
Although it was originally believed that a kind of turtle known as the diamondback terrapin had been imported, researchers have now learned that this species predates the advent of humans on the island.
Porto Santo Island
The deserted Porto Santo, which is remote and 27 miles (43 km) northeast of Madeira, was found in the early 15th century. Porto Santo is rocky and has sculpted sand waves, and lovely rocky and sandy beaches, just like the Madeira Archipelago.
Christopher Columbus once called the city of Vila Baleira home. The city, where his museum is located, is the best location on the island for shopping.
This island in the Atlantic is popular among tourists seeking relaxation in stunning but serene settings because it is an “undiscovered” European resort. One of the most popular pastimes is playing golf, followed by horseback riding.
Fernando De Noronha
21 islands make up the archipelago, which is located 354 kilometres (220 miles) off the Brazilian coast. The South Equatorial Current contributes to the warm water, making diving without a suit possible down to a depth of 40 meters.
The experience is made much more thrilling by the presence of tunnels, canyons, and boulders in the oceanic environment.
Visibility in the water is up to 50 meters, and the abundance of marine life is magnificent. And the majority of the year is pleasant, except for March through August when the archipelago is overrun by the rainy season.
Saint Pierre
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a small archipelago that is just 12 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, but its residents have French passports and participate in French elections despite living more than 2,350 miles away.
Despite its diminutive size, the island of Saint Pierre in the southeast is a fascinating summer vacation spot, offering a variety of museums, eateries, and natural sights to discover.
The island’s secluded Anse à Dinand is a popular hiking destination, offering stunning coastline vistas and the potential to see marine wildlife. Visitors are encouraged to arrange a guided Architecture and Heritage tour to learn more about the history of Saint Pierre’s downtown.
Conclusion
The adventures that can be experienced on its islands have the potential to be even more epic because the Atlantic Ocean may appear to be rather large, storm-tossed, and intimidating.
These are the best islands in the Atlantic and archipelagos to explore in the north, and south, warm and tropical, cool and magnificent, popular with tourists, and practically inaccessible.