The Ball Pyramid, an islet that is home to a giant insect that was thought to be extinct

In the middle of the Tasman Sea there is an islet that has a peculiar shape, the Ball Pyramid. A rare insect that was believed to be extinct was found on this rocky islet.

Ball Pyramid
The Ball Pyramid is an uninhabited islet located in the Pacific Ocean, the rest of the erosion of an ancient shield volcano that formed 7 million years ago.

In the east of Australia, 640 km from Sydney, there is an uninhabited islet called the Ball Pyramid, the name comes from the surprising appearance. This site is exclusive in terms of flora and fauna.

The volcanic origin of the Ball Pyramid is clearly observed when seeing the surface of its rocks.

The islet belongs to Australia, it is 300 m wide, 1.1 kilometres long and 562 m high. Its formation is related to the volcanic activity in the region, and the erosion was shaped to give it the pyramidal shape.

The islet was discovered in 1778 by Rear Admiral of the British Royal Navy Henry Lidgbird Ball, thanks to him it is named. Lidgbird left descriptive notes of the islet that was published at the end of the 18th century.

The first person to step on Ball's Pyramid

Due to how narrow the islet is, no one had disembarked, it took more than a century for someone to do it. The first to do so was the geologist Henry Wilkinson in 1882 but there was still a greater challenge missing, to reach its top.

Island
The danger of disembarking and climbing the islet made it forbidden in 1982 to climb its summit and disembarkation in 1986.

The first who managed to climb were the Australians Bryden Allen, John Davis, Jack Pettigrew and David Witham in 1965. Currently, access and climbing on the islet is only possible under very strict conditions.

Very exclusive place in terms of flora and fauna

The exploration of the islet allowed us to discover that the Melaleuca howeana, a plant popularly known as a tea tree, grows. This plant only grows on this islet and on another small island located 20 km from the Bell Pyramid.

Home of an insect that was thought to be extinct

In 2001, specimens of Dryococelus Australis were found on the islet, a giant insect that is considered the rarest in the world since only a few dozen of them are known to exist.

The insects, about 15 cm long and 250 grams in weight, were declared extinct a century ago, the rats that arrived in the region on the boats devoured this insect. Currently, some specimens are raised at the Melbourne Zoo.

Dryococelus Australis
The insect Dryococelus Australis was thought to be extinct about 100 years ago.

The Ball Pyramid is part of a submerged continent

The islet is part of the mainland of Zealand, which has 90% of its surface submerged and only the islands of New Zealand, the French territory of New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island, also part of Australia, remained on the surface.