From the sky it appears to be an idyllic island with amazing beaches and a dense forest , but tourists or fishermen don ’ t dare to set foot on this outcrop in the Indian Ocean due to its inhabitants ’ fearsome reputation . Visitors who venture onto or too close to North Sentinel Island risk being attacked by members of a mysterious tribe who have rejected modern civilisation and prefer to have zero contact with the outside world . When they do interact with outsiders , it usually involves violence – the indigenous Sentinelese tribe killed two men who were fishing illegally in 2006 and have been known to fire arrows and fling rocks at low-flying planes or helicopters on reconnaissance missions . Scroll down for video . Sentinelese tribespeople , holding javelins , gather on the shore of North Sentinel Island , located in the Bay of Bengal . Following the 2004 tsunami this member of the Sentinelese tribe was photographed firing an arrow at an Indian Coast Guard helicopter . This satellite image taken by NASA shows the untouched North Sentinel Island , which is about the size of Manhattan . Located in the Bay of Bengal , North Sentinel Island belongs to India and remains an enigma , despite being populated for an estimated 60,000 years . Untouched by modern civilisation , very little is known about the Sentinelese people , their language , their rituals and the island they call home . It is too dangerous to approach them due to their hostility to outsiders , meaning they are rarely photographed up close and almost never seen on video . Most of the photos and video clips that do exist are of poor quality . There are also conflicting reports on the tribe ’ s population , with most estimates putting it in the range of a few dozen to a few hundred . It ’ s still unclear what impact the 2004 tsunami had on the population and the island , which is part of India ’ s chain of Andaman Islands , although the uncontacted tribe managed to avoid being wiped out . After the tsunami one member was photographed attempting to fire an arrow at an Indian Coast Guard helicopter . The tribespeople are rarely photographed or recorded on video ; the only existing images or video clips tend to be of poor quality . To protect the Sentinelese people - and visitors - the Indian government has established a three-mile exclusion zone . Often referred to as a ‘ Stone Age tribe ’ – a title that advocates take offence to , as its members have adapted over time – the Sentinelese may be the most isolated tribe in the world , with the Indian government choosing not to meddle in their affairs . The government made several failed attempts to establish contact , but has abandoned all attempts and allows the tribe to live how it chooses on an island that is about the size of Manhattan . Indian authorities have gone as far as making it a crime to try to make contact with the Sentinelese . It is illegal to go within three miles of the island . While privileged people are eating £15 burgers and splashing £100 on new trainers , the near-naked Sentinelese are surviving off the land and hunting for sea creatures . But the waters surrounding the island appear to be under threat by even more illegal fishermen . Survival International said the islanders are ‘ extremely healthy , alert and thriving ’ , but their fishing waters are being threatened . This aerial image shows the dense tree canopy on the island , which has remained untouched by modern civilisation for centuries . Survival International reported late last year that it had received reports that fishermen are targeting the area , with seven men being apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard . One of the fishermen reportedly stepped foot on the island in close proximity to the tribe ’ s members , and he managed to leave unscathed . Survival International , which advocates for tribal peoples ’ rights , describes the Sentinelese as ‘ the most vulnerable society on the planet ’ as they are likely to have no immunity to common diseases such as flu and measles . Due to their complete isolation , the chances of them being wiped out by an epidemic are very high , according to the organisation . This aerial image from Google Maps shows a shipwreck off the coast ; clashes with salvagers have left several tribespeople dead . In a statement , Survival International ’ s director , Stephen Corry , said : ‘ The Great Andamanese tribes of India ’ s Andaman Islands were decimated by disease when the British colonised the islands in the 1800s . ‘ The most recent to be pushed into extinction was the Bo tribe , whose last member died only four years ago . The only way the Andamanese authorities can prevent the annihilation of another tribe is to ensure North Sentinel Island is protected from outsiders. ’ The organisation said the islanders are ‘ extremely healthy , alert and thriving ’ , despite threats from the outside world and their 'old world ' way of life . Their hostility towards outsiders can at least be partially attributed to past conflicts . Survival International said 'the outside world has brought them little but violence and contempt ' . In the late 1980s and early 1990s several tribespeople were killed in battles with armed salvagers who visited the island to recover iron and other goods from a shipwreck .
The indigenous tribe has lived on North Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean for 2004 . Their limited contact with the outside world usually involves violence , as they are hostile towards outsiders . Islanders have been known to fire arrows or toss stones at low-flying aircraft on reconnaissance missions . Tribespeople have rarely been photographed or recorded on video , as it is too dangerous to visit the island . India 's government has given up on making contact with the islanders and established a three-mile exclusion zone .