Cleft Island: Australia’s Spooky Skull-Shaped Island

Wilsons Promontory National Park in Australia is home to a spooky, isolated island that resembles a giant skull from afar. Countless onlookers have been captivated by the large caverns, sheer cliffs, and overall eeriness of Cleft Island, which is often referred to as Skull Rock. Visitors can peer into the dark recesses of Skull Rock from a boat, but anchoring a vessel and exploring the island is a difficult task due to choppy water and a series of vertical cliffs.

Several intrepid adventurers have successfully explored Skull Rock after being dropped off by a helicopter. The explorers discovered a large cavern lined with green grass, nesting birds, a few vociferous fur seals, and several rusted cannonballs that historians speculate came from passing ships that fired on vacant Skull Rock. Divers have spotted the remnants of several unlucky ships which collided with Skull Rock. Eagle-eyed divers may even spot a real skull in the depths near the base of the skull-shaped island.