Dark Secrets of the World’s Most Isolated Island 

Hi friends, I hope you enjoy this wild and incredible story. To address a technical aspect I’m sure a few commenters will point out 🤓🫶 depending on how you measure and which source you find, another island “Tristan Da Cunha” has claimed to be most remote. That’s because it’s 7-day boat ride to the nearest airport instead of the 4-day trip it took me to Pitcairn. But if you measure distance from closest continent, Pitcairn blows them all out of the park. Ultimately, Pitcairn’s unbelievable story is what made me chose to go there, you all know by now that a 7-day boat trip wouldn’t scare me away if the stronger story was on the other island. I hope you enjoyed the video as much as we did making it 🙏

Those drone whale shots! Holy cow! I've never thanked a corporation before but thanks Shopify for funding these guys! They help those that aren't able to travel. But we get to see things through their eyes! Boys! You are exceptional story tellers! Thank-you! Thank-you! Love these amazing adventures!

l loved this travelogue. I've studied remote islands through philately (stamp collecting) since I was a kid in Minnesota. Pitcairn, Tristan da Cunha, St Helena, Ascension, and tiny Dutch Saba in the Caribbean were my focus. I have been president of the two study groups focusing on Pitcairn and the three South Atlantic isles through their history and postal service. At 73 now, I moved to Saba a few years ago and host tourists in my 164 year old original cottage to fulfill my dream of living on a remote island. We aren't as remote as Pitcairn or Tristan, but we do have an unusual claim: our pharmacist is Jacqui Christian...from Pitcairn Island! Come to Saba some day, stay with me, and you'll discover a fascinating history here, almost as good as a mutiny! Certainly our little dot is a drone photographer's delight for dramatic footage similar to Pitcairn.

Nearly 20 years ago, 7 men on the island (one third of the male population) including the mayor, were convicted of committing paedophilia there. They claimed at trial that British law had no jurisdiction over them.

Honestly, South Pacific Islands are so underrated and there is barely any info about them. Great vid !!!

AMAZING STORY MAN! Pitcarin has been on my list for years but now I feel so fulfilled that I don’t ever need to go. It’s impossible to make a better, more well rounded and comprehensive video that this. Excellent work my friend !!

Being from a few towns down from where Fletcher Christian was born, I can hear a good bit of the Cumbrian dialect mixed in with a lot of other accents. I've listened to the Pitcairn dialect and I can definitely hear a lot of familiar words. I'd love to visit sometime to see how far the accent has changed from old Cumbrian to what it is now

I don’t know by what You Tube magic Yes Theory found me, but I feel blessed that it did. What beautiful, moving tales you guys share with your audience! And an episode like this, where the execution of the concept is matched by the videography, human interactions and writing is just plain awesome. As good as anything I’ve ever watched on Nat Geo or BBC, but so much more…human.

I would have liked to have learned more about how the residents feel....do they want to leave? How do they deal with the isolation? How do they earn money? Medical care? How do they feel about the rest of the world? Having asked myself all that, I still loved the beauty you showed!

Next video: "The Dark History of Chernobyl" but with no mention of the nuclear meltdown.

What an incredible story, place and group of people. Awesome video mate. Cheers for sharing this adventure with us

Those drone whale shots are just phenomenal. Cory 100% deserves an award for them

Well, the Bounty mutiny is certainly not the only dark shadow over that island. In 2004, about half the adult male population was sentanced for sexual abuse of young girls. This included the mayor. To be honest quite a horror story about long standing island “traditions”, and learning about this, it is not hard to imagine why younger people have left.

This is absolutely stunning! And me being half Australian and Canadian just the nature I’ve seen and been in has nothing compared to this beautiful piece! Definitely would like to visit here one day

Spectacular! I thoroughly enjoy every minute of your journeys. Always feel so enlightened.👍

I'm a proud Polynesian and I would like to thank you for acknowledging our culture and our ancestors on their underrated talents and skills ❤️

There’s something special about this video.

Amazing how you were able to do a whole video and not mention the scandal from the 90s and convey a story about the people.They will for sure appreciate that

The amount of peace and serenity this place beams is mindblowing. Everything there is just so pure and raw. I did wish however that you interviewed the inhabitants a little bit more. I would have really liked to know what it's like for them to live there and such.

I was just looking at Pitcairn Island today. They have their own website and the British gov. will give you land for a house and garden if you move there. You have to stay 6 mo. before you can start building your house. Also there are 3 more islands in the Pitcairn chain Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno with Henderson being the biggest and comprising of 86% of the total land. Out of the 4 Pitcairn is the only inhabited one. I have been contemplating moving there for the past 9 mo. 🏝

Great video guys! Welcome to the exclusive club of people who have been to Pitcairn Island. ! I was on Pitcairn in 1991 as part of a documentary film crew following a group who brought medical supplies and medical professionals. It took us two years to get an invite and our videos helped raise funds to bring much needed supplies to the island. We did minor surgeries and dental work and fitted residents with glasses. Watching your video brought back a flood of memories. The long boats coming out to greet us, the ATVs on the hill of difficulty and so much more. Hearing Olive talk brought a smile to my face. It had been a long time since I’ve heard that awesome dialect formed from a combo of 19th Century Tahitian and English Nautical lingo. The island looks very much the same 30 years later, but the store is much larger now. I stayed in Fletcher Christian’s descendants’ house as well, in a little upstairs room with a high bed. The house has changed a bit and when we were there, Tom Christian and his family were living there. There were about 80 inhabitants on the island back then. We brought some new inhabitants with us who were raised on Norfolk Island near New Zealand. Their parents were moved off of Pitcairn in the 60s and they were part of a group of young descendants who were invited to move back to rebuild the population. Thanks again for posting this video. I bet your story of how you arranged to get there is equally as fascinating. I know ours was!

Honestly, this is one of the most beautiful videos I'e watched on this platform. Incredible story telling, guys ❤

I absolutely LOVE this video. So well done, to the point, and so incredibly beautiful. More please!😍

the whale sequence brought me to tears. what an incredible place you've been able to share with the world. thank you.

Born and raised on a very small island in the South Pacific really sucked at the time, looking back it was a great time. My ancestors traveled around the pacific in small boats, navigated using the stars. Seeing this really brought back memories. Head to Samoa next.

Amazing story yet again 😍 It blew me away to see roads cars & traditional style houses there being Soo remote.

Been watchin 4 yrs now, and caught up on the early days, and gotta say this was one one of my favorites ✌❤

My day just got instantly better

I am Fijian and Tongan, which for those of you who don't know are Melanesian and Polynesian countries. Unfortunately I've never had the privilege to visit either, or have even been taught much about my culture. At times this makes me feel insecure about myself. Which is why I can't thank you guys enough for making videos like this one and the one in Tuvalu. They are so helpful for me to get to know my culture and history, and I appreciate these so much! A bit of a change in tone but I've been a fan of Yes Theory since I was a child, and I'm about to turn 18 next year. Over the years I've stopped watching countless channels from either growing out of them or just growing bored, but not once has Yes Theory even let that type of thought cross my mind. Yes Theory is a movement that is fit for any age or audience, and I can't thank you guys enough for helping me grow my mind over the years. You guys have shown me my culture and countless others, installed in me a desire to travel, and most importantly to seek discomfort :)

Tristan da Cunha is the most remote settlement in the world, also another British overseas territory. Pitcairn although extremely remote has a more romantic story to it & id love to go there. Along with Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha & Ascension Island. All are magical places.

This was absolutely awesome, fantastic, beautiful! What an incredible place. Thanks for sharing!

These stories make such a difference for so many people! Thank you, Yes Theory for seeking out these incredible stories! Always buzzing when you guys share a new adventure!!

Hi friends, I’d like to briefly address a sensitive point mentioned in the comments about the more recent dark history of the island. To be frank it’s a part of their history I hadn’t fully understood was still a problem until the very end of the trip. I sensed while there that many people kept to themselves and really didn’t like me walking around with a camera. Which also made it harder to interview people to understand what life is like. As I read more deeply about the recent past, it was truly disturbing and we felt very conflicted about what story to tell. I have traveled to so many places with complex stories, and usually, I don’t go into all the details of everything bad that has happened in every place, it would obviously never fit into a 20min story. There’s so much to every country or location and we can’t cover it all. Ultimately, we decided to not go into all the details of (1) how they all died on the island once they got there, also a crazy story and (2) break down the details of the more recent dark scandals. It was a decision we made while working on the edit given what we captured, but also something I still feel conflicted about. Some may understand, so may not. It’s a tough choice as we travel to chose what angle we should take. Should I talk about all the corruption in x, y, z place, or should I talk about the people? How far back into the history should I go? What’s ultimately the story I wanted to tell? These are questions I have to make endless decisions on every video, and in the end if let’s say there are 20 big topics to cover about a place, we can really only break down 3-5 in each story. For this one we decided to focus on what we focused on but we knew if people wanted to know more, it wouldn’t take long for them to find it with their own research. Appreciate all of those of you who have watched it so far, at the end of the day there is no part of this island’s history that’s bright. And I hope I made that clear. My own experience was nuanced and confusing and I did my best to create a compelling story with what I got while there. Happy to break down more in depth how I felt on some form of a podcast if people really want to hear more. I think you’ll understand my sentiment in greater detail. I just didn’t think the majority of people would care. For now, the story is the way it is and I hope you still find the history we chose to cover interesting. Peace ✌️

Wow, another great adventure! Thank you guys at Yes Theory for bringing such sights and travel to us, back to our comfort at home. Most of us will not be able to go on such adventure trips this lifetime, the admin, logistics, funds, distances etc but glad we now know about this faraway island. Stay safe dudes!

I was touched watching this. Great job Thomas! As a Polynesian, it's always nice seeing our history being shared/told because, sadly, even though there is so much to be taught that many may not know about we are a dying group. And as with that, our history fades as well. I always think about this often, but I fear that if we aren't sharing these lessons and memories with people and if people aren't willing to listen, one day who we are and what we stand for will be forgotten. Lost, or as you said, become some sort of myth to most. This video hit home for me and I enjoyed every second of it. Thank you Thomas and the team for pulling this off, amazing work as usual.

Main article: Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004 In 2004, charges were laid against seven men living on Pitcairn and six living abroad. *This accounted for nearly a third of the male population, and half of the island's adult males.* After extensive trials, most of the men were convicted, some with multiple counts of sexual encounters with children.[32] On 25 October 2004, six men were convicted, including Steve Christian, the island's mayor at the time.[33][34][35] In 2004, the islanders had about 20 firearms among them, which they surrendered ahead of the sexual assault trials.[36] After the six men lost their final appeal, the British government set up a prison on the island at Bob's Valley.[37][38] The men began serving their sentences in late 2006. By 2010, all had served their sentences or been granted home detention status.[39]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed this!

What a wonderfull island ! Thanks a lot for sharing that video !

This is unbelievable! I'm descended from Matthew Quintal, the first enlisted man to sign up with Christian to mutiny. He was later murdered or executed depending on accounts, largely because he had a terrible temper and drinking problem and was a bit of an A@#hole. His son was among those who relocated to Norfolk Island (halfway between NZ and Aus) after the mutineers were pardoned, and my grandmother was born on Norfolk and moved to New Zealand as a baby. There's still a streak of Tahitian blood running through our family from all of this, and I have always been fascinated to see Pitcairn and its people. Thank you for the insight! It looks amazing!

The places you visit, the people you meet, all these stories you tell us...thank you for that. It makes my day.

What an incredibly beautiful island with wonderful people!looks like it would be a really awesome place to live! Thank you for making and sharing this wonderful video👍🏼🤩🫡❤️🙏🏼

I went there are the Aranui5 -- an amazing freighter/cruise ship. One of the most amazing places I have ever visited. We were able get off and enjoy the people on the island as well as mix with the 200 other passengers on our ship

Absolutely tremendous to watch this, my great grandmother was born on Pitcairn and we are direct descendants of Fletcher Christian also. I've never visited Pitcairn but I would love to. My relatives there produce and sell Pitcairn Honey. I'll share this video with my family 💛

I'm amazed by how much infrastructure they have for the fact that it's such a small island, I mean that grocery store is huge and the fact that they have their own police station hahahah amazing story as always

Wow!!!! What an adventure!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!! and thank you for expanding my view of that it is possible to live and enjoying life and see this vast world! You really do with life what I have only dreamed of and you are actually able to do it! The dream!!! Getting to travel the world and share experiences with others, seeing the farthest corners of the world, participating in breathtaking experiences, and sharing it with others!

What amazing footage!! Keep up the travle, love the videos!!

So great to see Olive and the other inhabitants doing so well. When we visited in 2019 the general store was under constructions and it’s great to see it complete! so many memories from our time visiting Pitcairn 🙌🏼

I must say, one of the best documentary-style content created by an independent individual/group I've ever watched. It's so informative about the history of the island and its people. You've earned my respect and keep doing what you do best! I've subscribed to your channel for more great content in future.

I truly love your videos. I watch these with the hope that I may one day be able to leave my town and travel even just a little. To some my home is a tourist destination but to me I feel stuck. If only I could experience Greece. I feel like once I accomplish this my life won't feel so dim anymore.

Beautiful and this is the first video I watched on your channel. Wish if the world is still open for risk takers to concor seven seas. We are all scattered around the globe we never know how but it's lovely to feel the joy of another human being and feel it in our hearts. Love from south east Asian island Sri Lanka

I can just imagine all the awesome stories Thomas will get to tell his kids and grandkids. He literally goes on adventures for a living. What an amazing, well-lived life.

"In the Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004 seven men living on Pitcairn Island faced 55 charges relating to sexual offences against children and young people. The accused represented a third of the island's male population and included Steve Christian, the mayor." aka Olive's husband

This was so amazing!! I have never heard of this place. The fish you caught was so beautiful I gasped

Great informative video man! I was in cook islands few years back I can only imagine how cool would of been joining for this adventure. Cheers!

The footage of the whales nearly made me cry. Absolutely spectacular. What an incredible place to visit/take us! Thank you for your amazing content. I feel like I've seen so much of the world with you guys :)

The extreme length Yes Theory goes for these valuable stories!!! Hats off ❤❤

Great adventure Awsome content Love all the hard work

Brilliant video. Darkly fascinating. I remember watching the news coverage of the child abuse scandal and the men having to build their own prison before they could be put in it.

When I tell you my Jaw DROPPED when you pulled out that fish 🐠 absolutely incredible

You left out a HUGE part of the horrible history of Pitcairn. Or maybe didn’t want to speak about it. Decades of child rapes and indecent behaviors. I was mortified when I read about it and how long it went on. Surly it’s left a huge scar on the population there now.

What a truly remarkable video. Great work fellas! Thoroughly enjoyed this 👌

Woah I never knew anything about this hidden island. Thank you so much for this story! Learned much of things. 🙌🏽

Quite disappointing that they failed to mention the 2004 Pitcairn Islands sexual assault trials. 7 men living on Pitcairn Island faced 55 charges relating to sexual offences against children and young people. More people including former mayors were charged with child P''''''. More men from the islands were charged in New Zealand and Australia with the assistance of British police.

Have you ever heard of Umnak Island off the coast of Alaska? There is currently only about 40 people living there also. I’d love to see a video of that island too someday. It also has an interesting history.

That was truly fascinating, and a feast for the eyes! Thank you

Beautiful video anout beautiful people, nature, whales and story ❤ Thank you!

this is insane, even though this video makes me want to go there chances are I most likely never will, but it feels like I explored the whole island with you guys, especially because some shots show the massiveness of the place. Thanks for this, really loved it!

it all seems amazing until you find out that most of the children in that island have been abused by elders and that's why many of them have moved. I found out of the existance of this island from a documentary and when I found out about all the news my heart shattered cause it felt so amazing/special

This was so beautiful. Amazing island, amazing people. Thank you for sharing.

Yes Theory is the gold standard for these exploration videos. Such an inspiration for the stories you tell! Well donw

THAT EPISODE WAS INCREDIBLE! I stumbled onto this RU-vid destination be accident, and Im so glad I did. After watching, I could not help but want to explore this Island. I love history, and this is no exception. I was actually blown away by how much progress was evident at the island. And that simple fact put "human 'progress" and impact, into perspective. Despite its remoteness, the island actually seems to be less "remote" than I thought. I thank you for this episode because you did a great job showing us followers, that even the remotest of islands, have been greatly affected by modern ways. What a cool place to be enveloped, and drawn in, by the mystery and intrigue of a unique and exciting past!

Being brought up in Australia, this was part of our history lessons at school, as South Pacific (British Empire) islands were inside Australia's 'sphere of influence'. I had never seen the island... until now. What an awesome video!

Amazing video. Ever since grade school growing up in Hawaii, this story always captivated me. I would love to make it there one day ❤

Never knew that my ancestors can be on this far and remote island. What an amazing discovery and I really am grateful to come across this channel

It's such a coincidence that just the other day (Thursday) I had the chance to speak with the only teacher of Pitcairn Island, she looked like a really nice person and I remember she said something about the island having a few visitors lately(which she said was really rare)! Now I know who she was talking about!

When Thomas says horrible backstory he's referencing the fact it was a paedophile rape island until about 2005. Count dankula covers it in much more detail -- 'The Isle Of Nonces : The Pitcairn Scandal

A Fantastic view of one of the coolest places on earth! Wow & such a history! Appreciate your efforts and quality Camera and editing, research. Thank's for sharing this with us! Cheers to continued success!😉✌🏼💫

Mind blowing man, I love your videos! This one and loneliest cabin are the best for me. Much love from Spain ♥️

That fish was such beautiful colors

Man you guys never disappoint. From the small house in LA to this, it has been a crazy journey. Love these types of videos and such an amazing story!

Great story. We sailed there in 2019, actually stopped at all 4 of the islands. They are all different, and only Pitcairn is inhabited. The water is some of the clearest in the world, the spearfishing was amazing, I found a 300 year old shipwreck on Oeno. We were blessed with a week on Pitcairn, and the locals took us in, let us stay in the guest bedroom (thanks Pirate Pawl!). It was a fantastic experience, one I'll never forget. Very vivid memories. Much love, keep seeking. 😎

A lot of the Pitcairn island descendants today live on NORFOLK ISLAND 🇳🇫 (AUSTRALIA) I noticed the Islanders speak English with a AUSTRALIAN/NEW ZEALAND accent.

Amazing video! Thanks for making such a wonderful video record.

Thomas!!! Keep discovering the world in this alternative way you do. You put places and story's into the light what otherwise stays hidden. Love your passion for what you are doing!

One of the most fascinating stories ever told... as is the paradise... where it unfolds... Pitcairn Island. A history told and retold of frustration, rebellion, isolation and courageous people. The ancestors are still holding on to a historical treasure that should never be allowed to die. Knowing the British, who explored, settled and created many of our present day civilizations... just as there will always be an England, so will there always be a Pitcairn Island. Thank you for this most interesting tour, a lovely place... with its even more lovely people.

Amazing and most enjoyable! Fantastic job.

They really make me wanna get out of my comfort zone & explore places I’d never wanna go. I love how every video is like a movie .. Yes Theory & it’s team are extremely talented 💪🏼 & I’m Greatful for this channel it’s truly special

That blue fish was absolutely amazing looking 💙

Pitcairn is beautiful. Ty it was a great video

Amazing content and great story telling !!

It would be super cool to hear the story of the current locals and family history!

Great video guys. Super interesting story and fantastic scenery

Great job on this one. Very interesting,Awsome video gentleman!

Shopify picked the right guys to visit and inform us of a really wonderful place with a history and setting of a time that truly important for us to be able to see through these two guys. All the hard work of the people who live on the island and the two guys that visited it are greatly appreciated. And thank you Shopify for making it happen ! Great job to everyone involved !

the story of Pitcairn gets even darker when you read into the all children being raped over the last decade... no wonder all the young people are leaving.

As an 🇲🇾, this is good place to relax and away from busy city and feel the nature. Thanks for sharing us the journey. Absolutely hilarious

This Video was so Good. Amazing Work gents. I never knew this island exited. The power of RU-vid surfing is REAL ❤️

Hello, YES THEORY FAM! I have been one of your silent fan/viewers since 2021. I started binge-watching your videos during the pandemic but took a break from it. I started watching your videos again after a few months and I could say that I enjoy it more than I did before. I feel like I am watching a documentary wherein it is so inspirational and entertaining at the same time. A load of information is also given to the viewer with a history and culture touch. I wish you could upload a longer video the next time as 20 minutes is not really enough. We wish to see more of it and good luck on your next adventure!!!

I appreciate you Thomas for being the face of Yes Theory recently:) although I miss seeing all of you guys going out on adventures I know this is part of the journey and I hope you continue doing what you’re doing.

This has so interesting! I hope you’ll find this interesting too. The box you guys got groceries in at 9:53 carries the exact logo of Woolworths which is an Australian supermarket chain. I noticed it immediately and had to back up. I live in Canberra. Thanks for making this video!