evidence: As befits an atoll so steeped in legend and history, it was while listening to the inebriated stories of an aging treasure hunter that I first heard of Bassas da India. Situated in the Mozambique Channel between the east coast of Africa and the island of Madagascar, very few people are aware that this tiny atoll even exists, but for those in the know, Bassas da India has become synonymous with the kind of adventure only found somewhere truly remote. A 2-day journey from Vilanculos on the Mozambican mainland, the atoll is the product of a submarine volcano that soars 9,800 feet (3,000m) from the ocean floor. At the surface, this peak has created a band of exquisite fringing coral reef, within which lies a lagoon 7 miles (11km) in diameter and just 50 feet (15m) at its deepest point.