A 24-year-old American tourist has been arrested after attempting to make contact with the isolated Sentinelese tribe on North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal. Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov made a prohibited journey to the island, home to one of the world’s most reclusive tribes, on March 29.
The Indian government had warned against visiting the island due to concerns about modern illnesses that could be deadly for the tribe, which lacks immunity. Visiting the island is strictly prohibited by law to protect the Sentinelese way of life.
Polyakov was spotted by a local fisherman on his way back and arrested two days later, along with seizure of his inflatable boat and motor. He has not been charged with any offenses yet.
The Sentinelese have only made contact with the modern world a handful of times, and their interactions have been fatal in the past. In 2018, American missionary John Allen Chau was killed by tribespeople after he arrived on North Sentinel Island.
Caroline Pearce, Director of Survival International, described Polyakov’s actions as “reckless and idiotic.” The organization emphasizes that uncontacted peoples have no immunity to common diseases like flu or measles, which could wipe them out.
Polyakov had planned his trip in advance, visiting the Andaman islands twice before traveling to North Sentinel. He left behind some soft drink bottles on the island, but police have not found any evidence of this yet. A special investigation team is searching the island from afar using binoculars.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/04/travel/north-sentinel-island-us-tourist-arrested-intl-hnk/index.html