Royal Navy Patrol ship's mission to protect a Pacific paradise home to the descendants of the infamous HMS Bounty mutineers (Picture: Royal Navy).

HMS Tamar crew arrive to Pitcairn Island (Picture: Royal Navy).

HMS Tamar on a mission to protect the environment of Pitcairn Island (Picture: Royal Navy).

Idyllic weather as the Royal Navy helped protect the environment of one of the most isolated islands on the planet (Picture: Royal Navy).

HMS Tamar spent five days in and around the tiny Pacific island of Pitcairn helping to protect its environment (Picture: Royal Navy).

The inhabitants of Pitcairn are one of the most isolated communities on the planet — The inhabitants of Pitcairn are one of the most isolated communities in the world (Picture: Royal Navy).

Pitcairn is of one of the most isolated islands on the planet (Picture: Royal Navy).

Patrol ship HMS Tamar spent five days in and around the tiny Pacific island of Pitcairn (Picture: Royal Navy).

The arrival of HMS Tamar doubled the population of Pitcairn overnight (Picture: Royal Navy).

Specialists from Tamar carried out the first stage of neutralising old explosives left on Pitcairn for nearly half a century (Picture: Royal Navy).

HMS Tamar arrived to the Pitcairn islanders to help preserve their unique environment (Picture: Royal Navy).

Navy

In Pictures: HMS Tamar protects one of the world's most isolated paradise islands

Thunder echoed over the idyllic Pitcairn Island as the Royal Navy arrived to protect one of the world's most isolated paradises.

For five days, HMS Tamar, a Royal Navy patrol ship, navigated the pristine waters surrounding the Pacific Island, renowned as the historic refuge of the mutineers from HMS Bounty.

Today, descendants of the Bounty's crew inhabit this 2.8 square mile haven, passionately committed to preserving its rich wildlife.

Pitcairn is a UK Overseas Territory which lies 3,000 miles from New Zealand, where the island's Governor is based in Wellington.

During its visit, specialists from Tamar embarked on a mission to neutralise explosives left dormant on Pitcairn for nearly half a century by carrying out a series of controlled explosions.

Spanning an area equivalent to Scandinavia, these waters form the world's fourth-largest Marine Protected Area.

The patrol ship also gathered water samples for scientific analysis, shedding light on the impacts of climate change in this ecologically significant region.

"The islanders were immensely grateful for the support we provided, whether it be advice on their maritime infrastructure; outreach support for the development of their community centre; or ordnance disposal," said Officer of the Watch Lieutenant Leo Jeune.

"It was a pleasure to meet and integrate with the community, and understand the challenges and unique aspects to living in the UK’s most distant overseas territory, and one of the most isolated communities in the world.

"Their friendliness and island spirit were mimetic of the communities we often miss when forward deployed away from our homes."

HMS Tamar's arrival instantly doubled Pitcairn's population, as sailors promptly engaged in community tasks in and around Adamstown, the island's sole settlement.

This was the second visit by the Royal Navy in two years to the islands after HMS Tamar's sister ship HMS Spey delivered Covid vaccines in 2022.

"It was a privilege to visit and support one of the UK's most distant overseas territories and provide support to maritime security," Tamar's Commanding Officer Commander Tom Gell said.

However, the work to protect the island is far from over.

Experts from the Royal Navy's Portsmouth-based Diving and Threat Exploitation Group discovered over 1,100 detonators and three kilometres of detonating cord, remnants of the island's 1970s harbour construction, necessitating controlled explosions in a sheltered bay for disposal.

Additionally, the experts uncovered approximately three and a half tonnes of high-explosive ammonium nitrate fuel oil, previously utilised in Pitcairn's quarrying mining operations.