What Is Point Nemo and How to Find It in the Pacific Ocean

Point Nemo, officially known as the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility, is one of the most mysterious and remote places on Earth. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it is the farthest point from any landmass, making it an ideal site for deorbiting spacecraft and preserving a unique marine environment. This extreme remoteness fascinates explorers and adventurers drawn to one of the planet’s most unreachable locations

Point Nemo lies in the southern Pacific Ocean, approximately 2,688 km from the nearest land. Its name comes from the Latin word nemo, meaning "nobody," symbolizing its complete isolation.

Geographically, it is located between New Zealand, Chile, and the Pitcairn Islands. The site is often used as a safe "spacecraft cemetery" because the likelihood of debris impacting a ship or land is virtually zero.

Due to its isolation from land, Point Nemo is considered one of the most lifeless areas of the world’s oceans. Ocean currents deliver few nutrients, resulting in extremely low biodiversity.

However, this makes it particularly intriguing to scientists studying deep-sea ecosystems and the survival of organisms in extreme environments.

Despite its barrenness, unique forms of life have been discovered near Point Nemo — including the Yeti crab, covered in hair-like filaments that help it survive in harsh conditions and harvest energy from bacteria.

Such discoveries prove that even in the most isolated places on Earth, life finds ways to adapt and thrive.

Point Nemo is also known as the final resting place for decommissioned spacecraft, including satellites and space stations that have reached the end of their operational life. After controlled atmospheric re-entry, they plunge into the ocean depths — about 4,000 meters below the surface.

The location was chosen because it lies far from shipping routes and coastlines, making the process entirely safe.

In literature, Point Nemo is linked to H.P. Lovecraft’s story The Call of Cthulhu, in which the monstrous being Cthulhu lies dormant in the deep ocean at nearly the same coordinates.
This association has made Point Nemo a symbol of mystery and the unknown, inspiring artists, writers, and explorers alike.

Point Nemo’s coordinates are 48°52′6″ S and 123°23′6″ W. On the map, it lies between New Zealand and Antarctica, at the heart of the South Pacific Ocean.

It is one of the most remote points on Earth — a reminder of the importance of studying isolated environments that can teach us much about nature and the resilience of life.