Heard Island

Heart Island is a remote, volcanic island in the Subantarctic that belongs to Australia. Stark and inhospitable, it’s dominated by Big Ben – a 9,000-foot-high active volcano which last erupted in 2016. The island remains uninhabited by humans. In order to protect the island’s rare and delicate ecology (including the resident penguins), visits are strictly regulated unless you’re part of a scientific expedition. Should you be granted access, you face a two-week voyage from Australia across some of the planet’s roughest seas.