Rockall: 45 Days on the Most Desolate Place on Earth

Talking to the World Project

Normally, I only use first names here. Not today.

Nick Hancock, English Adventurer of the Year 2015, is the famed resident of a strange rock island in the North Atlantic: Rockall. In 2014, Nick lived inside a small pod tethered to Rockall for 45 days. A world record, making him the island’s longest sole human inhabitant.

Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve never heard of Rockall. Most people haven’t. It’s probably because Rockall is one of the most desolate places on earth.

And dangerous.

Slathered in seabird guano, buffeted by 34-knot winds, pummeled by 30 foot (and occasionally higher) ocean swells, Rockall is the eroded core of an extinct volcano. Fifty-two million years old, it is 248 miles from the nearest land. Except for a few small animals and sea birds — gannets, kittiwakes, and the occasional pigeon and puffin — no one lives there. With no fresh water or vegetation, Rockall is uninhabitable.

Untapped oil reserves lie in Rockall’s seabed. As a result, Rockall’s ownership has been hotly disputed by four countries: the U.K., Ireland, Iceland, and Denmark. For the moment, Rockall is in Britain’s hands, thanks to Nick’s record-breaking residency last year.