In the 1970s, man bought part of Washington island; now he's its only resident

On Washington State’s Protection Island, Marty Bluewater has an unusual kind of neighbourhood. Gulls fly over the sandy bluffs, harbour seals rest on the beach and tufted puffins can be seen in the water. There are no other human residents.Bluewater is the only person living on the roughly 400-acre island, which became a National Wildlife Refuge in 1982. According to Atlas Obscura, he first bought a piece of the island in the early 1970s, when it was being promoted as a future holiday destination with hundreds of homes.Almost five decades later, the plan for a large residential community is long gone. The island is now closed to the public and protected for wildlife. Bluewater, however, was allowed to continue living there under a lifetime-use agreement.He built a small wooden cabin as a weekend getaway, but over time it became his home.