Wager Island, Remote island in Guayaneco Archipelago, Chile
Wager Island is an island in the Guayaneco Archipelago within the Aysén Region of Chile, sitting roughly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) south of Santiago. The landmass covers about 40 square miles (105 square kilometers) and rises to Monte Wager, which reaches nearly 1,900 feet (586 meters) above sea level.
The British warship HMS Wager ran aground along the coast in May 1741 and broke apart in the rough South Pacific waters. The roughly 140 surviving sailors experienced a mutiny in October of the same year, with only a handful eventually returning to England.
The Chono people inhabited the surrounding waters before the first European contact through Francisco de Ulloa's naval expedition in 1553.
This uninhabited island can only be reached by specialized boats departing from Caleta Tortel, which sits roughly 66 miles (107 kilometers) to the east. Patagonian weather changes rapidly, so visitors should prepare for rough conditions and strong winds throughout the journey.
Several salvage operations between 1742 and 1769 recovered cannons and other materials from the HMS Wager wreckage near the shore. Francisco de Ulloa reached these waters as early as 1553, making him one of the first Europeans to sail through the Guayaneco Archipelago.
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