There’s A Giant ‘Fingerprint’ In The Sea—And Like Humans’, It’s One-Of-A-Kind

A tiny island located in the Šibenik archipelago off the coast of Croatia, known as the Baljenac Island or Bavljenac, is unlike other enclaves in the sea. Why? That’s because that from above, the isle, spanning only half a square mile, appears as a giant fingerprint floating in the water.

It turns out that the entirety of ‘Fingerprint Island’, as it is endearingly nicknamed, is covered with dry-stone walls arranged in a pattern that mimics the grooves on one’s finger when looked at from a bird’s-eye view. 

According to Real Croatia, local farmers had constructed this complex system of drywalls to protect the land’s soil, preventing the elements from washing away much-needed nutrients that were already scarce. Almost 24 km (14.9 miles) of hand-built drywall, dating back to the 1800s, sit on just 14 acres of land.

The peninsula’s distinctive appearance has made it a draw for tourists in recent years, though locals are concerned that their arrival could damage the precious walls. As per Luxurylaunches, the island is currently on the UNESCO Tentative List as it awaits induction to the organization’s Cultural Heritage Site List. 

“It is because of the stone lace pattern that Baljenac caught the eye of guardians of cultural heritage. The Conservation Department in Šibenik, on a proposal from the University of Zadar, will prepare an application for protection status of Baljenac as a cultural heritage,” Mark Sinobad, a conservationist, told TecheBlog.

Intrigued? Take a look at the videos below and you might just be tempted to add the enigmatic island on to your bucket list.

[via Luxurylaunches, cover image via Goran Šafarek | Dreamstime.com]