National Parks and World Heritage Sites

Scary Island of ‘No Return’ on Lake Turkana in Kenya

On the Kenyan Lake Turkana  also known as the Jade Sea, there is Envaitenet Island, which translates as “no-return” from the language of the local tribe, El-Molo.

The scary island is just several kilometers wide and long. 

Local people do not live on the island, because they consider it a cursed place.

English explorer Sir Vivian Fuchs’ expedition was working in Kenya in 1935.

His two colleagues, Martin Sheflis and Bill Dayson left for the mysterious island.

Fifteen days passed, but the two scientists did not return.

Fuchs sent a rescue team to the island, but they found no trace of their friends but just a deserted aboriginal village. The island looked totally abandoned and it sent chills down their spines.

They called out a plane to survey the island but found nothing.

Local residents told Fuchs that people used to live on the island many years ago…. they fished, hunted, traded with their relatives on the mainland. However, the islanders suddenly stopped coming to the mainland completely. 

Then several men from the Mainland village went to the island to see what had  happened.

When they reached the island, they were dumbfounded!

They saw a deserted village with huts full of various things, and fish was rotting near an extinguished fire. 

Where were people ? The “Scouts” left the island very quickly, and decided not to try their fate. Nobody except for birds ventured to go there again.