When a person is asked to name a famous landmark or historic place somewhere in the world, chances are, American Samoa would never be mentioned. However, all of that is about to change, as Fox News has just placed the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS) on the third spot of a short list of places that they consider “cultural gems that aren’t quite so well-known just yet.”

“Now referred to as the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, this federally designated underwater area is one of 14 protected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries,” says foxnews.com

“According to NOAA, of all the sanctuaries it is the most remote, the only true tropical reef, and is believed to contain the greatest diversity of marine life. Established in 1986, American Samoa was once the smallest of all the sanctuaries but it has since expanded to cover more than 13,581 square miles and is now the largest.”

Currently, the NMSAS operates out of the state-of-the-art Tauese P.F. Sunia Ocean Center in Utulei, a spot that is frequented by visiting tourists, local school field trips, and curious residents who want to know what the buzz is all about.

In a June 10 article published by Fox News, Katie Rosenbrock writes, “We’re willing to bet that you’ve heard of the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Giza. Perhaps these and a few other famous landmarks are items on your travel bucket list. The only problem, everyone else’s lists look just the same. Not that you shouldn’t visit these popular places. Obviously they all have tremendous cultural and historic value that makes them worthwhile and meaningful destinations, but everyone knows that nowadays it’s so much cooler to opt for the unpopular. In fact, traveling at all is just way too mainstream, so maybe you should just stay home and soak up your own awesomeness.”

“We’re totally kidding,” she continued. “No matter what the status quo, you should never stop exploring the world. We just think it might be a little bit more fun to adventure into the lesser-known corners. Maybe they’re not as well known, but there are plenty of less trendy travel spots out there that are just as culturally rich and remarkable as some of the more commonly celebrated places.”

According to the report, each year the State Parties of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) gather in order to outline which natural and cultural sites around the world will be eligible for inclusion on the World Heritage List.

“All of the sites mentioned above (the Taj Mahal, Grand Canyon, Great Wall of China, Pyramids of Giza) are some of the list’s most popular tourist destinations in the world. However, the full list includes nearly 1,000 properties (981 to be exact) and it continues to grow each year as UNESCO considers new sites and adds them to the official list,” Fox News reports.

Beyond UNESCO’s official list, the organization also has a large collection of sites that have been nominated for inclusion but haven’t yet been deemed official World Heritage Sites.

Rosenbrock writes, “In keeping with the trend to stray away from “the mainstream” (still totally kidding about that), we decided to sort through some of the nominees and create our own list of cultural gems that aren’t quite so well-known just yet. But one day they might be considered official World Heritage Sites, and who knows, even garner as much fame as the Great Wall or Grand Canyon.”

Topping the list is Serpent Mound in Ohio, USA. Number two goes to Paraty Gold Trail in Brazil while the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa is ranked third, followed by Mistaken Point in Canada. Rounding up the list of the top five sites are the Trelleborg Fortresses in Denmark.

It was Sanctuary Superintendent Gene Brighouse who shared the Fox News report with Samoa News via email yesterday. Brighouse is currently off island and could not be reached for further comment. However, Lt. Charlene Felkley, the Marine Operations Coordinator for the NMSAS said yesterday, “We here in American Samoa, as well as the Sanctuary employees, have always known that this place is special, and it’s great that the world can now recognize that too.”