Last night, guests of National Geographic Orion left the sweet flowers and kind, generous people of Samoa to head towards the Cook Islands. Though we are excited to visit the next islands, time at sea gives us a great chance to relax, look through photos, jot down inspiration in our journals, and learn more about the culture and history of the next stops on our itinerary.
Christine is an Explorer's Club Fellow, Polar Expedition Diver, Expedition Leader and conservation photographer and videographer. She has worked as a professional diver around the world for over 18 years dedicated to ocean education, exploration and ...
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Today we explored the lovely island of Beqa, which is part of Fiji. The day started with a visit to a small village by the coast and an optional hike to a neighboring village. The hike took us up a hill and provided beautiful views of the ocean and the bays below. Along the way, we looked for birds, visited a kava farm, and learned a bit about local plants. We even visited the village school, which had a small library and playground for the kids. After we finished the hike, we had a delicious lunch on board National Geographic Orion then we took Zodiacs ashore at a new location. When we pulled up on the beach, we were greeted by a chorus of singers from one of the villages. The music was beautiful, and we all enjoyed listening to the group sing and play their instruments. We shared a bowl of kava with our greeting party and then were treated to a special ritual – firewalking! Men from the village showed us their traditional practice of walking over extremely hot rocks that have been heated by a strong fire. It was impressive! It was our last full day on this trip, and we certainly made the most of it.
This morning, National Geographic Orion anchored in the Kadavu Island Group. Kadavu is Fiji’s fourth largest island but considered the least developed area in Fiji. Captain Bligh was the first (known) European to sight the Kadavu island group in 1792 on his second voyage to Fiji on the HMS Providence . The reef surrounding the island group was named after Dumont D’Urville’s ship Astrolabe, which nearly shipwrecked on the reef that now bears the vessel's name. Great Astrolabe Reef is one of the longest/largest barrier reefs in the world and one of most pristine. After breakfast, we loaded into Zodiacs and cruised the shores of Yabu Island where there were hundreds of red-footed and brown boobies in flight and roosting/nesting in the trees. From there we went to Vurolevu Island to snorkel and the healthy reef did not disappoint. Around the corner from the beach, we swam with manta rays and their incredible size and grace made it a truly incredible encounter. After a delicious sushi lunch, we snorkeled from the platform and returned to the ship feeling pleasantly exhausted from all our fun in the sun! Image: Zodiac cruising around Yabu Island. Photo by Elise Lockton
Bula and welcome to Fiji! It’s perfect to start our exploration of this country with the island of Taveuni. First, we were blessed with a picturesque sunrise while the full moon was setting on the other side of the sky. Good morning! After clearance, we jumped on the Zodiacs and disembarked on the island where the buses were waiting to take us to visit Waitabu Village. In the village, everyone was awaiting us, colorful and smiley, prepared for our arrival. To start with, the sacred kava ceremony was performed, after which music took over and kids performed fantastic traditional dances. After enjoying local refreshments, we moved to Bouma National Heritage Park where a beautiful path full of flowers led us to a sublime waterfall, where we swam and have fun. In the afternoon, we headed out in the Zodiacs to Waitabu Marine Park, a reserve promoted by locals to save their reef and resources. After 15 years of efforts and protections, the results are visible. Beautiful snorkelling completed our awesome first Fijian day.
