A speck in the Pacific
Salas y Gómez is one of the most isolated places on Earth. This uninhabited Chilean island is a mere 15 hectares (0.15 square kilometers) of volcanic rock, located 3,210 kilometers west of the Chilean mainland and 391 kilometers northeast of its closest neighbor, Rapa Nui (Easter Island). The island itself is the peak of a massive underwater mountain that rises about 3,500 meters from the ocean floor. It consists of two main rocks, a 4-hectare western one and an 11-hectare eastern one, connected by a narrow isthmus that is only 30 meters wide. The highest point on the island reaches just 30 meters above sea level.
Despite its minuscule size and lack of fresh water, the island is an important breeding site for at least 11 species of seabirds. Species such as the Christmas Shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis), Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra), and Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) form dense colonies. In Rapa Nui tradition, the island is known as Motu Motiro Hiva, or "islet of the bird on the way to a faraway land," a place visited to collect eggs and feathers.
An underwater mountain kingdom
The island is the only emergent part of the vast Salas y Gómez Ridge, a 2,900-kilometer-long underwater mountain chain with over 110 seamounts. This submerged landscape creates the conditions for a unique marine ecosystem with one of the highest levels of endemism in the world. For many groups of organisms, nearly half the species found here live nowhere else. Scientific surveys have documented that 41.2% of fish species and 46.3% of bottom-dwelling invertebrates are endemic to this region.
These waters host deep-water coral reefs and glass sponge gardens, providing habitats for a multitude of species. Recent expeditions have identified at least 50 species new to science in the waters around the ridge. The area is also an important corridor for migratory species, including blue whales, leatherback sea turtles, and sharks. In 2010, to protect this environment, the Chilean government established the Motu Motiro Hiva Marine Park, a no-take marine reserve of 150,000 square kilometers around the island. The majority of the ridge lies in international waters, facing threats from overfishing, plastic pollution, and potential deep-sea mining.