March 25–27, 2025

Marti Eicholz

During this segment of our journey, The Odyssey crosses the equator heading northward. In a nod to longstanding maritime tradition, the ship holds a vibrant “crossing the line” ceremony. For those uninitiated, known as pollywogs, it is a rite of passage to become shellbacks, the seasoned sailors. The initiation, both humorous and humbling, requires pollywogs to kiss a raw fish, marking their official entry into the ranks of experienced seafarers.

Now sailing in the Northern Hemisphere, we experience the March equinox, commonly referred to as the spring equinox. This moment is seen as a time for renewal and recharging one’s energy, an ideal opportunity to seek balance and foster personal growth as the world around us awakens from winter.

As The Odyssey glides across the Atlantic Ocean, anticipation builds for our arrival at French Guiana, a unique overseas territory of France located on the northeastern coast of South America. Approaching the coastline, we catch sight of a remote cluster of three islands known as the Salvation Islands, with Devil’s Island being the most infamous among them.

Situated twelve miles from the shore, the Salvation Islands appear like sparkling emeralds on the horizon. As we draw closer, their allure intensifies — tall palm trees fringe the islands, their leaves swaying gently above the crystal blue-green waters. The scene is alive with dozens of sea turtles gliding gracefully through the surf, painting a picture of untouched natural beauty.

The name “Salvation Islands” might evoke images of sanctuary, and indeed, their original reputation was as a refuge from the deadly diseases that ravaged the mainland during the colonial era. However, history took a darker turn, and the islands became home to one of the world’s most notorious penal colonies — a place synonymous with despair and the struggle for survival. Today, the Salvation Islands represent a paradox, drawing both history enthusiasts and nature lovers who come to witness this striking blend of paradise and purgatory.

Landing on the islands is never guaranteed. The surrounding waters are often shallow, and if the weather turns rough, there’s a real risk of the ship running aground. Anchoring farther out means exposing the tenders to significant ocean swells, making the journey to shore hazardous and sometimes impossible. In fact, the chances of a successful landing are only about 50%, adding to the islands’ air of mystery and inaccessibility.

On this occasion, The Odyssey anchored offshore and the crew prepared the tenders for landing. Unfortunately, conditions did not permit us to go ashore. After careful consideration for safety, our captain made the difficult decision to cancel the port call and continue our voyage, leaving us to admire the islands from a distance.

Although we were unable to set foot on Devil’s Island, I’d like to share with you some of the history and significance of this intriguing place — insights into what we missed by remaining onlookers, observing from the safety of our ship.

Devil’s Island, lying nine miles off the coast of French Guiana, is the smallest of the three islands that form the Salvation Islands Archipelago.

The notorious French penal colony was founded in 1852, marking the beginning of a grim era that persisted for more than a century, finally ending in 1953. Over its 101 years of operation, the colony earned a fearsome reputation as the harshest and most unforgiving prison system in the world. Prisoners sent here faced unimaginable suffering, with the remote island environment amplifying the severity of their sentences and the daily struggle for survival.

Located off the coast of French Guiana, the Îles du Salut, or Salvation Islands, are a trio of small islands infamous for their dark history as a French penal colony. For over a century, these islands bore witness to suffering, despair, and the unyielding grip of the ocean, becoming the stuff of legend and dread. The penal colony’s establishment in 1852 marked the beginning of an era defined by relentless hardship and human endurance.

A brutal French penal colony was established here in 1852 and operated for one hundred and one years, closing in 1953. During this time, it became known as the harshest prison system in the world.

For over a hundred years, prisoners, a total of 70,000 men and nine hundred women, were sent from France to serve “forever” sentences for crimes ranging from petty theft to political dissent. It was a sentence with a high probability of death by guillotine, tropical maladies, or from barbaric treatment by prison guards. Life was grueling: malnutrition, diseases from the tropical environment, violence, dangerous ocean currents and shark-infested waters made escaping impossible, but it made the prison renowned.

The smallest and most notorious of the three is Devil’s Island, steeped in legend, and was for political prisoners. The most famous, Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army, unjustly condemned for treason, rooted in anti-Semitism, a symbol of injustice, arrived in 1895 and released in 1899. An infamous scandal. A political and social reckoning in France.

St. Joseph Island, the heart of the operation, was reserved for solitary confinement, a nightmarish place of no talking allowed, being constantly observed, and exposure to the elements. A place of silent “reclusion.” It’s said the dense jungle swallowed their cries. Now as you explore the overgrown ruins nature is reclaiming what man built. You sense the eerie silence.

Royale Island, the largest of the islands, even though it is only sixty-nine acres, was the administrative center. It housed common convicts.

The three-island complex became known as “Devil’s Island,” shrouded in mystical eerie stories and legends and compared to hard labor or sheer slavery. Several people escaped despite the adverse conditions.

Today, if you wander, you see crumbling moss-covered walled prison buildings such as the governor’s house, the hospital, exhibits, and cells where prisoners were held, all holding stories of gloom, decades of despair. Imagine spending years in an area no bigger than a closet. You see the rocks, hear the noise of the ocean, and feel afraid of the many sharks that abound. Some call this area the land of hell. Others call it the cursed triangle. If you love mystical stories and legends, you feel the eerie atmosphere of the past envelope you. Now decades later these islands offer a stark contrast to their grim past: lush tropical greenery, coconut palms swaying in the ocean breeze, hiking trails leading to breathtaking, sweeping ocean views, curious, playful monkeys, vibrant macaws, and other colorful birds to tiny golden frogs call this home.

Henri Charriere, the most famous prisoner-turned-author, chronicled his daring escape from the penal colony.

His notable memoir, “Papillon” became a novel with subsequent film adaptations even though parts of the story are disputed. Charriere writes, “Papillon never was an outstanding figure. He had bad relationships with other convicts with whom he frequently quarreled.”

The islands and particularly Devil’s Island became noted because it’s where Papillon “claimed” to have escaped. He did not. This story is not Papillon’s story. It is a compilation of many prisoners’ stories. It is said, “Papillon is mostly a true story, it’s just not Henri Charriere’s story. What did the story accomplish? It brought global attention to the harsh realities of life on the islands and Devil’s Island stands as a chilling testament to those harsh realities.

Sitting at my dining window, looking out over the water, and passing Devil’s Island, I think, “What a peaceful contrast to the tragic nature of the past.”

The Odyssey sails on…

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