During this Desert Island Survival Adventure, we will strive to create a real, raw, and exciting experience. We believe an expedition only becomes an adventure when some element of risk is involved. We believe that attempting to eliminate all risks is impossible and would sterilize the experience of being a real-life castaway.
How will we approach risk?
You can’t eliminate risk in life, but you can look to mitigate risk through training, forward planning, and prior research. Before being selected, each island is evaluated for its level of risk, and an evacuation strategy is drawn out should an injury occur.
Our fantastic instructors are all wilderness first aid-trained and renew their certifications with refresher courses every two years. We will bring a comprehensive medical kit with us and have a remote doctor on 24-hour standby should their opinion or expertise need to be called upon, or should prescription medication need to be administered.
We will ask you to sign a waiver before you head to the island, but more importantly, we work by a system called informed consent, which means that we will do our best to make you aware of the risks you might encounter in advance of your adventure.
So without further ado, these are risks you could encounter on your expedition:
Remoteness
Deserted islands are by their nature in remote locations. Remoteness poses a risk to us as it extends the amount of time it takes to receive professional medical attention. Regardless of the activity we are undertaking on a deserted island, we are always vulnerable to a medical emergency through natural causes, from appendicitis or Angina and everything in between. We take due care to ensure we can stabilize a patient as best we can and follow a customized evacuation strategy if necessary. However, adverse weather conditions, boat complications, and other unforeseen instances can slow down evacuation. Lastly, it should be noted that due to operating in developing nations, the medical services available do not always match up to the standards found in more developed countries.
Coconuts & Deadfall
It is said that coconuts kill 15 times more people than sharks. Coconuts weigh between 6-9 lbs (3-4 kg), and if one hits you it can cause serious injury and in unfortunate cases, death.
In addition to this, dead trees can pose a significant threat if toppled over by wind or human interaction.
Marine Dangers
Sharks in general pose a low risk. We have only ever sighted juvenile reef sharks and nurse sharks in Panama, and attacks on humans for the species are extremely rare. The only time that you are more vulnerable is if you are spearfishing and the shark goes for your fish. We have never encountered a problem with this but it does not rule out the possibility.
Stingrays are fairly common in Panama we have had one castaway stand on a stingray in the shallows and get a barb to the foot. He was absolutely fine in this instance and no evacuation was required.
Jellyfish can occasionally float on the ocean current which can result in a few mild stinging jellies in the bay. Most species we encounter are innocuous and cause a very minor sting, we have never experienced any of the more deadly species but the possibility of encountering highly venomous jellyfish is everpresent when swimming in the ocean.
Stonefish and lionfish are present at all of our destinations but encounters are extremely rare. Typically encounters are only due to catching them on your fishing line. Pufferfish are very common to catch in Panama and have to be treated carefully when removed from the hook.
Coral cuts and scrapes can easily become infected and fire coral can sting for a few hours after contact.
Tides and currents can pose a risk of drowning. All of our islands are reviewed for these risks and dangers but you should consider your own swimming strength when making a judgment call on an open water crossing between islands.
Spearfishing carries with it its own set of dangers. Hypoxia leading to unconsciousness and drowning is the highest risk, therefore, the activity should never ever be undertaken solo—a buddy system must always be in place. There is always a risk of being shot or shooting someone, as well as the risk of being swept out to sea by currents.
Land Animals
Wild pigs and even saltwater crocodiles inhabit some of our islands. In general, these animals are more scared of you than you are of them and will not attack you unless provoked or startled. Any animal that is caught in a trap will fight for its life and can injure you. Though we have not encountered saltwater crocodiles, we know they can be found on one of the Panamanian islands we operate at specific times of the year.
The tropics have their own unique collection of illnesses and diseases, including rabies. The good thing about desert islands is they are low-density areas for humans which are the typical vector for most diseases. However, we can’t rule out the chance of contracting a disease in these regions. The regions we operate in are also considered low risk for diseases contracted from animals such as Rabies, malaria, dengue, or leishmaniasis from sandflies, however, we can not rule out their existence.
Insects
Wasps and bees can be found on some of our islands and deliver a painful sting. Though in general not a problem if you are allergic to their sting and can experience swelling this can become a serious problem. We carry epinephrine just in case.
Sandflies need water to survive, so we run our expeditions in the dry season when their numbers are low. However in Panama in particular if we experience rain later into January and later their numbers can persist during sunrise and sunset when there is no wind. Sandfly bites can be extremely itchy and leave marks for several weeks after your expedition. In very extreme cases they can even lead to scarring, however, none of our guests has ever suffered this.
Mosquitos: These flying annoyances can be encountered on all of the islands, however, their numbers are very low, next to none. We run our trips in the dry season to ensure insect numbers are comfortably low.
Spiders are not of considerable concern in most locations. However, in Panama, we have twice encountered the Brazilian wandering spider which can deliver a painful bite. Typically symptoms subside after a few hours, but in some cases, they can last for a number of days and result in priapism. Cases of death have been recorded in individuals with heart defects and the very young.
Scorpions of the deadly variety are not known to live on the islands we run our expeditions on. We do however see one or two small scorpions from time to time when collecting firewood and the chance of getting stung does exist.
Snakes can be found on the islands, but encounters are rare.
Poisonous plants can contain toxins that are harmful to humans if ingested, touched, or inhaled. We will teach you the safe plants to ingest and the ones to avoid. However, we cannot rule out the chance of allergic reactions or poisoning occurring.
Other Risks
Trips and falls Are always a possible risk, especially when walking on coastal rocks. At times they can be slippery and the risk of tripping is exacerbated through tiredness and hunger.
Burns of a minor sort are fairly commonplace when cooking on open fires.
Sun exposure can cause sunburn, premature aging, and skin cancer. It’s important to protect yourself by wearing protective clothing and using sunscreen.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency that can occur when the body overheats due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures. It can lead to organ damage and even death if not treated promptly.
Food poisoning can result in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms. It’s important to properly handle and cook food to prevent contamination.
Allergic reactions can occur when the body’s immune system overreacts to a substance that it perceives as a threat. These reactions can be mild or severe, and in some cases, life-threatening. Being in a new environment, you will likely encounter many new species you have not interacted with before and may be unaware of an allergy to.
Fishing injuries can be dangerous due to the use of hooks and other sharp objects. Injuries can occur when handling fish or using spearfishing equipment.
Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluids than it takes in, tropical environments with high levels of sun exposure and exertion are a perfect recipe for dehydration. Symptoms include dry mouth, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. We will always ensure you have enough water to avoid dehydration.
Cuts from machetes, knives, thorns, and glass can all result in various injuries. We will train you to help mitigate the danger of cutting yourself and others when using cutting implements. With regard to the risk of cutting your feet, we strongly encourage you to wear shoes at all times.
Skin infections and rashes due to prolonged wearing of wet and dirty clothes are perfect conditions for skin infections to propagate. Correct personal care helps to mitigate risk, but it can not rule out the chance of developing a skin infection or rash.
Transportation
Car travel can be dangerous due to the risk of traffic accidents. Operating in developing nations means that road safety standards are not as high as we are used to in our home countries, and the probability of an accident is higher. It’s essential to wear seat belts when traveling in all motorized vehicles.
Boat travel in open water is not without danger. All of the vessels we rent are equipped with lifevests. We do not make the use of them mandatory, but we advise their use.
Human interactions can occur even on the remote islands we travel to. We do not operate in dangerous areas where risks of piracy and kidnapping occur, however, we cannot eliminate the risk from humans that could occur in remote locations.
Final Note
Even though this might sound like a comprehensive list of risks and dangers. It is important to understand that for the most part desert islands are not a foreboding or dangerous place. The vast majority of expeditions pass without incident and we have only ever experienced two evacuations—due to a fish hook in the finger and a deep cut to the finger. Both castaways returned to the island after a trip to the clinic.
Finally, It is always possible that there are more dangers on the islands than we are aware of, and can’t be certain we have found them all.
Questions?
If you have any questions please send me an email through my Contact Page.