Aitutaki, Cook Islands, 11/1/2023, National Geographic Resolution
Aboard the
National Geographic Resolution
French Polynesia & Pacific Islands
Today we arrived at the island of Aitutaki. Guests were cleared by Customs and Immigrations before being transferred to the pier by Zodiac. The weather was very wet with heavy rain and thunder. It was decided that lagoon cruises would be cancelled due to the thunder.
Guests boarded a bus and enjoyed a tour of the island before returning to the ship. On the way back, we spotted humpback whales outside the pass. We were able to get nice and close.
Internationally acclaimed as a traditional master navigator, Tua has navigated canoes across the great oceans of our planet from the coastlines of Asia through to the shores of the Americas for more than 30 years, without the use of modern instrument...
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The last day of our journey across the remote Pacific began with an overcast sunrise. We had cruised from Bora Bora since dawn. As clouds filtered the sunrays, the lush topography of Taha’a was revealed. Two activities were offered to guests. One group visited a vanilla farm. Here, they learned how flowers are hand-pollinated to get vanilla pods. Guests experienced the processes of extracting, drying, and processing the pods. The other group snorkeled in the surrounding waters of the motu Mahaea. This little paradise had lots of surprises for guests. A light rain fell, and the experience will remain in our memories. We returned to the ship for lunch and to reposition to the UNESCO archeological site of Taputapuatea. As we cruised, we enjoyed the lovely scenery and topography of Raiatea. Guests were excited to disembark and learn more about this sacred place. Upon our arrival, local guide Susan was waiting for us. We boarded a bus, and Susan shared the area’s history as we drove. We arrived to the Taputapuatea, and Tua Pittman, our Cultural Expert, gave us an introduction to the sacred areas. We made a very special visit to the remains of the marae. We had the honor of meeting one of the members of the chiefly family of Tamatoa, Matorae. Matorae offered a special ceremony in the marae for us. Guests were allowed to walk inside the marae. It was a very special moment for each of us. Having the opportunity to be part of this event will remain in our memories. It seems like not long ago that we started in Palau, and now our journey has come to an end. What we experienced during each of our visits, the friendly people we met, and the smiles we shared will all remain in our memories.
Today was a beautiful, sunny day as we woke up in Bora Bora. It’s also the final day of the 31st running of Hawaiki Nui Va’a, a three-day, 129-kilometer canoe race that takes place every November where competitors race from Huahine to Bora Bora. While this wasn’t on our initial itinerary, the amazing Lindblad Team aboard National Geographic Resolution was able to work it into our journey, giving us this once in a lifetime opportunity to stand (or wade) along the finish line and witness the culmination of this incredible event. Over a hundred teams competed in Va’a, a traditional style of outrigger canoes that have been used by Polynesian communities for travel throughout the Pacific Ocean for over 4,000 years. After learning about the history of these vessels over the course of our expedition from Master Navigator, Tua Pittman, it was amazing to see them in action as they barreled towards the finish line. Taking advantage of our time in Zodiacs, the National Geographic Visiting Scientist Team (Adi, Kelly, and Jet) took water samples using the plankton net and Niskin bottle before heading back to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to board a catamaran and head over to a sandbar for some snorkeling, where we saw blacktip reef sharks and stingrays (the Jenkins’ whipray). Those who were keeping an eye out also saw a few pufferfish! Keeping the water activities going, we jumped back on the catamaran (which included live music from local musicians) and made our way over to a quiet beach to watch the sunset, snorkel, walk the beach, and eat some delicious fresh fruit. It was a lovely way to finish our day in Bora Bora before heading back to National Geographic Resolution for an amazing barbecue dinner. The Visiting Scientist Team stayed up after dinner to filter and process the water samples they collected earlier that day. They enjoyed guest visits in the Science Hub to discuss Adi’s research on plankton populations in the South Pacific.
We are headed west, onward toward French Polynesia. National Geographic Resolution spent the day at sea as we motored toward our final destinations in French Polynesia. This is our final day at sea on a trip filled with many enjoyable sea days. We spent the day relaxing, catching up on our photo uploads, and attending several excellent lectures. As has occurred every sea day this voyage, a yoga class was offered by our excellent wellness specialist Kat in the afternoon. Lectures on offer were as follows: “Top Environmental Issues of the Ocean, Part 2,” with Joe Holliday; “South Pacific Stories,” with Jennifer Kingsley; “Marae,” with Tua Pittman; and a photo feedback session with our photo team, Michael Nolan and Nitye Sood. Of course, there was plenty of sightseeing from the bridge and the upper decks as seabirds and flying fish darted alongside the ship all day.
