What is Point Nemo?

By Jaruda Suppakarnpanich Date 02 May 2025

Point Nemo is located in the South Pacific Ocean, which is the most inaccessible spot on Earth. We'll explain why it's so geographically unique.  

Point Nemo, named after the mysterious submarine captain in Jules Verne’s “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” is an area in the South Pacific Ocean that’s the furthest from any point of land in the world. The name “Nemo” means “no one” in Latin, which perfectly describes this area that’s also called the “Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility.”

Where is Point Nemo?

Point Nemo is located midway between New Zealand and Cape Horn at the southern tip of Chile. It’s 2,700 kilometers from the closest points of land: Ducie and Pitcairn Island to the North, Maher Island off Antarctica to the South, and the Moto Nui Islet near Easter Island to the Northwest. The closest people to Point Nemo are the astronauts in the International Space Station orbiting 400 km above the Earth.

Though the area is about 34 times larger than France, it hasn’t been explored since 1992, when it was officially discovered through a process of mathematical deduction.

Proximity to Land Means Marine Life

The closer an area of the ocean is to land masses, the more life it supports. Point Nemo, being so far from the nearest land mass, is also one of the least populated areas by any organisms. This lack of biodiversity combined with its isolated location has led to Point Nemo becoming a graveyard used by the world’s space agencies as a dumping ground for satellites and old decommissioned space stations.

Unlike most of the world's oceans, the waters of Point Nemo are also unnaturally quiet because of the lack of organisms. This makes it an excellent location for studying marine life communication methods and underwater acoustics by visiting marine biologists and scientists.

There’s no prohibition against visiting the area, Point Nemo is open to anyone who wants to brave the long sea voyage to reach it. However, if you’re interested in seeing the waters of the most inaccessible location on the face of the planet, you’re likely to be disappointed. The weak currents of the area mean there are not enough nutrients flowing through the area for much marine life to survive.

If you were to dive into the waters of Point Nemo, you'd encounter a colorless and lifeless rock and sand seascape devoid of marine life. When you compare this environment to the waters of Thailand, you'll realize how fortunate Thailand is to have the wealth and intensity of its rich biodiversity.

Explore the Rich Biodiversity of Thailand’s Waters

From the pelagic marine life you'll encounter on trips to the Similan Islands in the Andaman Ocean to the many colorful tropical reefs to explore around the islands in the Gulf of Thailand and Pha Nga Bay, the waters of Thailand are the polar opposite of Point Nemo.

Between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Ocean, the waters of Thailand support an entire world of scuba diving and snorkeling industries, including dive shops, scuba courses, day dive boats, and liveaboards.

Book a Dive Class or Trip Through Giant Stride

A visit to the Giant Stride website is an introduction to the diving community of Thailand. You can browse the wide variety of scuba certification courses available all over Thailand, and when you’re certified, you can enjoy an exciting Gulf of Thailand or Similan Islands diving trip in Thailand aboard your choice of well-equipped liveaboard dive boats. Giant Stride offers in-depth reviews of dive courses and commercial dive boats in Thailand to help you pick the right experience for you and your diving skill level. You can even book your course or trip directly through Giant Stride.

Giant Stride also includes a guide to the most popular dive sites in Thailand. You can choose a beautiful seascape, a shipwreck, a calm and picturesque island cove, or any of Thailand's thousands of popular coral reefs.

We ensure that only companies that support sustainable and ecological diving practices are featured on our website. The website also continuously updates the information offered, so you can be sure of getting relevant and up-to-date information. Book your next dive trip through Giant Stride and enjoy a vibrant and colorful area of the world’s oceans.

Before you plan a dive vacation in Thailand, visit the most trusted and reliable source of dive information in the country. Visit the Giant Stride website today.

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