stackyFACTS
Travel

Devil's Island fed sharks to deter escapes

HERE’S THE INTERESTING PART

Tropical paradise meets brutal penal history off the coast of South America. Before it was reclaimed by overgrown palm trees, this French Guiana nightmare held 80,000 political prisoners in disease-ridden squalor. Sharks were actively fed near the shore to deter swimmers, and the remaining stone ruins still feature the ominous indentations where the camp guillotine stood waiting for rule-breakers.

From the Stacky collection1 min read
Devil's Island fed sharks to deter escapes
STACKY / Travel
Topics in this factruinsdevils islandhistory
One discovery leads to another.

Keep exploring facts in this topic.

Travel →
STACKY FOR IPHONE

A bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.

Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.

Download on the App Store
ONE MORE DISCOVERY?

Keep exploring

All in this topic →
Machu Picchu authorities implemented strict one-way walking circuits and severe time limits to prevent the ancient Incan citadel from being physically trampled into dust by the relentless stampede of modern tourism.
Travel

Machu Picchu authorities implemented strict one-way walking circuits and severe time limits to prevent the ancient Incan citadel from being physically trampled into dust by the relentless stampede of modern tourism.

Machu Picchu authorities implemented strict one-way walking circuits and severe time limits to prevent the ancient Incan citadel from being physically…

Discover more
How the Parthenon was destroyed by gunpowder
Travel

How the Parthenon was destroyed by gunpowder

It wasn't just ruined by time; people actively used the Parthenon to store gunpowder during various wars, which went exactly as poorly as you would expect…

Discover more
If you visit the Colosseum in Rome today, you will notice hundreds of unexpected 'locals' living inside. Who are they?
Travel

If you visit the Colosseum in Rome today, you will notice hundreds of unexpected 'locals' living inside. Who are they?

If you visit the Colosseum in Rome today, you will notice hundreds of unexpected 'locals' living inside. Who are they?

Discover more
Mount Rushmore is fundamentally a massive act of geological vandalism carved into the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota, an area that was violently stolen from the local Lakota Sioux tribe.
Travel

Mount Rushmore is fundamentally a massive act of geological vandalism carved into the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota, an area that was violently stolen from the local Lakota Sioux tribe.

Mount Rushmore is fundamentally a massive act of geological vandalism carved into the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota, an area that was violently stolen…

Discover more
The ancient excuse behind “When in Rome”
Travel

The ancient excuse behind “When in Rome”

Your casual excuse for wild behavior is practically ancient. This specific idiom originated from early religious leaders advising people to just blindly…

Discover more
Renting fully furnished holiday homes is a century old gig
Travel

Renting fully furnished holiday homes is a century old gig

Rich families used to lease entire estates for the summer long before modern apps made it accessible to everyone. The concept of temporarily moving into…

Discover more
StackyMore discoveries in the app
Download on the App Store