At Sea – Vanuatu to Fiji, 2/22/2024, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
French Polynesia & Pacific Islands
The day was spent at sea, traversing the approximately 600 nautical miles from Tanna, Vanuatu to Suva, Fiji. Time was spent enjoying the shipboard facilities, including the gym and sauna, and attending presentations by the ship’s naturalists and field staff.
Mike's love for the water comes from growing up on the great lakes where his dad worked as a commercial ship captain. After going to university for mechanical engineering he worked in the automotive, plastics, and aerospace defense industries before ...
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We arrived in the lagoon of Santa Ana early in the morning and had an amazing breakfast aboard National Geographic Orion . We were eager for the morning activities that awaited us ashore. There was a special welcome dance from the local village which depicted stories of their culture and then we hiked across the island to view the other village and the spirit house. The dive team was able to go out for a lovely dive, and guests enjoyed an afternoon spent snorkeling on a lively reef, learning about all the fish. The dive team was able to do a second dive and then we finished the day with a beautiful sunset and the captain’s farewell cocktail gathering.
In between moments on deck to enjoy the warmth, look for birds, and watch the flying fish, we had a full schedule. Ricky Qi, our National Geographic photographer, began the day with a presentation about his journey along China’s Yangtze River in the footsteps of the famous poet, Li Bai. After brunch, we heard from Master Navigator Tua Pittman about traditional voyaging in modern times. Our Head Chef Lourenco Cristovao offered galley tours to pull back the curtain on where our many delicious meals are made. It’s lovely on sea days to find the quiet spaces on the ship and to enjoy “at home” moments when we have free time. After teatime, our visiting scientist, Hillary Smith, gave a presentation about the coral reef surveys she is conducting. Afterward, we went into our evening routine – cocktails, recap, dinner, and bedtime.
This morning, National Geographic Orion approached Espiritu Santo cruising down Segond Channel. This channel was the location of the United States Naval Advance Base during WWII and is the site of the famous wreck, SS President Coolidge . The troop transporter was carrying 5000 troops when it struck two mines and sank within ninety minutes. After exploring the WWII museum in Luganville and other sites, we headed to Million Dollar Point for an early lunch. Walking the coast at low tide, we could see the debris from the material the US Navy left in the ocean rather than shipping it back to the US or selling it to the French, who were controlling this area of Vanuatu at the time. From there we explored the east coast of the island and stopped at a beach for an amazing demonstration of water music that has been passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter for many centuries. Standing in the water, this family made amazing music using their hands to drum the water. From there we continued along the coast to the Matevulu Blue Hole, one of Espiritu Santo’s famous freshwater pools. It was a perfect ending to our incredible time in Vanuatu.
