The desire to explore and develop new territories up to the most remote corners of the planet remains an important feature of humanity. Going to unknown regions in search of new information and in order to improve geographical maps earlier, people today often travel more for tourism or business, because most of the earth's corners have already been explored. But still there are those who are ready to put their own lives on the line, going to explore places such as underwater depths or lifeless deserts, where no man has yet set foot.
Even living on Earth for thousands of years, we continue to discover new secrets of our planet. Modern technology, including satellites and services like Google Earth, allows us to see the world from a bird's eye view, which is much better than the ancient cartographers, who supplemented the empty spaces on maps with images of mythical sea creatures. However, even with all the technological advancements, there are still areas that require further research.
Ocean depths
Most of us may have felt the sand of the beach under our feet at least once in our lives, indirectly touching the ocean, but it is still the most unexplored territory on Earth. According to research, 95% of ocean spaces are still unexplored, and if we are talking about the bottom of the ocean, then only a couple of percent have studied it. In general, we know very little about the depths of the sea.
One of the factors that makes the mystery of the seabed even more fascinating is the fact that most of it we have never been able to see. Satellites have difficulty traversing the depth of water to get a clear image. We managed to get a kind of "photo" of the bottom, but with a resolution of only 5 km, which means that we cannot see details smaller than the specified size. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that we have more detailed maps of the surface of Mars than maps of the bottom of our oceans!
Gangkhar Puensum
Gangkhar Puensum, a mountain with a height of 7570 meters, has an attractive exotic name. However, it is an impregnable peak among the mountain ranges, and its pristine nature is not due to such common safety restrictions. While climbers still venture to climb Mount Everest and K2 despite the high dangers, Gangkhar Puensum remains impregnable due to respect for the spiritual beliefs of the local population. This fact may be surprising, because there are hardly any places on Earth where the opinion of the indigenous people is so listened to!
It is clear that the people of Bhutan have made wise choices, despite the chaos that reigns on Everest in Nepal. Gangkhar Puensum remains untouched for those looking for new challenges and adrenaline. Before the government banned climbing, four unsuccessful attempts were made to conquer this peak.
However, it is believed that if mountaineering had been allowed, Gangkhar Puensum would have been quite accessible to conquer.
Surtsey Island
Exploring ordinary islands is usually not difficult, unlike complex cave systems. So why is Surtsey Island still not developed, does not have a café on the pier or tourist bungalows? The answer to this question is simple: Surtsey exists quite recently. It arose as a result of volcanic activity that occurred just 60 years ago, between 1963 and 1967. From a historical perspective, this is considered a completely new territory, a downright geographical baby.
Despite the fact that the emergence of a new land may be tempting for the tourism industry, scientists immediately intervened after the discovery of Surtsei. Since its inception, access to the island has been limited and granted only to qualified researchers under strict control: this is due to the desire to preserve the possibility of natural colonization of new lands by vegetation and wildlife without human intervention.
Sacred cenotes of Yucatan
Even with the use of advanced technologies for exploring the territory, there are places that remain almost unexplored and full of mysteries. One of these mysterious places is the cenotes of Yucatan. Cenotes are unique natural reservoirs formed as a result of the collapse of the karst cover and the exposure of groundwater. They are located in the Yucatan region of Mexico and are considered sacred to the Maya, the ancient civilization that inhabited these lands.
The cenotes of Yucatán have been discovered thanks to aerial photography of the Mayapán ruins. A great number of cenotes have been discovered, and some of them have become popular tourist destinations, attracting adventure lovers and those eager to cool off in the clear waters of these unique formations.
However, even with the increase in tourist activity, a huge number of cenotes remain unexplored. Moreover, the cenotes of Yucatan are only part of a huge and as yet poorly explored cave system that stretches underground. Cenotes serve as entrances to these underground caverns, shimmering oases where fresh water merges with seawater to create a unique ecosystem. Inside the caves there are stalactites and stalagmites, formed for many millennia by the continuous action of water.
The study of these caves is of great interest to scientists. Some cave systems are connected by long underground tunnels, the study of which can shed light on many questions about the geological and biological history of the region.
North Sentinel Island
North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal is a place full of mysteries and mysteries. This island is home to a tribe of Sentinelese who are tightly isolated from the outside world. These people exhibit extremely aggressive behavior towards anyone who tries to approach their land: they use their arrows and spears to protect their territory from outside invasions.
Studying the culture and lifestyle of the Sentinelese is an attractive challenge for scientists and anthropologists. These people speak their own language, which remains unknown outside of their community, their customs, rituals and traditions remain a mystery to the outside world. All attempts to establish contact with them in the past ended in failure or even tragedy with human losses.
Sometimes people, driven by curiosity and a desire to better understand this mysterious people, make attempts to visit the North Sentinel Island. However, such attempts not only contradict the ban on visiting, but also pose huge risks to the life and safety of people.
