Luganville, Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu
After a smooth overnight run southward, the ship docked this morning at a pier in the town of Luganville. A squadron of local vans mustered to drive us to various sites around the island. There were several very different options for the day’s outings.
Divers went on a shore dive, descending with local dive guides to visit the renowned underwater wreck of the World War II troop carrier, S.S. President Coolidge. In October of 1942 this ship struck mines on its way into the harbor at Espiritu Santo and sank. All but two people survived. In 1993 this site was dedicated as a marine park, and it is perhaps the world’s most accessible shipwreck for divers. She is now home to many marine corals and fishes, including a very large and friendly grouper known as “Homer” who is often petted by passing divers. Within her hold divers can still see the remains of jeeps, dishware, phonograph records, and many other curious sights.
A group of intrepid bird watchers went with Richard and Mike to the Loru Conservation Area far from the busy town of Luganville. Passing through miles of coconut plantations, they arrived at a large protected reserve with undisturbed forest where some of Vanuatu’s interesting endemic birds, such as the chestnut-bellied kingfisher and buff-bellied monarch, can still be found.
Many of us choose to tour parts of the island to see some of the remaining war sites. On the cement pad of an old hospital we watched a display of traditional dances. A few miles away in the forest we stepped among the scattered metal remains of a B-17 bomber that went down during the war. Our final stop was at “Million Dollar Point” where an enormous amount of leftover war equipment and vehicles were dumped into the sea rather than bearing the cost of transporting them back to the U.S. Here, washed by the waves, the rusting remains of axles, gears, Coke bottles and countless unidentifiable pieces of machinery are slowly dissolving into the sea. The crumpled masses of this aging debris are a bewildering testament to the sheer volume of material that was needed to support and maintain the many people who struggled here in the effort to win that famous war.
After lunch there was another dive outing to see more of the sunken ship Coolidge. Measuring 654 feet long, this wreck is so large that it’s possible to dive on it for multiple days and still visit its many mysterious sights. The land tours headed farther inland to visit the village of Nerkar where we were welcomed with hibiscus flowers, shown various food plants as well as traditional dying and weaving techniques, food preparation, kava tasting, and custom dances with drumming. The villagers then provided us with delicious fresh fruit and coconut before bidding us farewell. On the way back to the ship we stopped at the bustling local vegetable market where most all of the produce is transported in hand-woven palm baskets.
Back on the ship a string band provided us with festive entertainment as the galley and steward crew gave us a wonderful deck dinner with fresh sashimi and various Philippino specialties. A festive mood floated on the balmy evening air as another memorable day in the South Pacific came to a close.
After a smooth overnight run southward, the ship docked this morning at a pier in the town of Luganville. A squadron of local vans mustered to drive us to various sites around the island. There were several very different options for the day’s outings.
Divers went on a shore dive, descending with local dive guides to visit the renowned underwater wreck of the World War II troop carrier, S.S. President Coolidge. In October of 1942 this ship struck mines on its way into the harbor at Espiritu Santo and sank. All but two people survived. In 1993 this site was dedicated as a marine park, and it is perhaps the world’s most accessible shipwreck for divers. She is now home to many marine corals and fishes, including a very large and friendly grouper known as “Homer” who is often petted by passing divers. Within her hold divers can still see the remains of jeeps, dishware, phonograph records, and many other curious sights.
A group of intrepid bird watchers went with Richard and Mike to the Loru Conservation Area far from the busy town of Luganville. Passing through miles of coconut plantations, they arrived at a large protected reserve with undisturbed forest where some of Vanuatu’s interesting endemic birds, such as the chestnut-bellied kingfisher and buff-bellied monarch, can still be found.
Many of us choose to tour parts of the island to see some of the remaining war sites. On the cement pad of an old hospital we watched a display of traditional dances. A few miles away in the forest we stepped among the scattered metal remains of a B-17 bomber that went down during the war. Our final stop was at “Million Dollar Point” where an enormous amount of leftover war equipment and vehicles were dumped into the sea rather than bearing the cost of transporting them back to the U.S. Here, washed by the waves, the rusting remains of axles, gears, Coke bottles and countless unidentifiable pieces of machinery are slowly dissolving into the sea. The crumpled masses of this aging debris are a bewildering testament to the sheer volume of material that was needed to support and maintain the many people who struggled here in the effort to win that famous war.
After lunch there was another dive outing to see more of the sunken ship Coolidge. Measuring 654 feet long, this wreck is so large that it’s possible to dive on it for multiple days and still visit its many mysterious sights. The land tours headed farther inland to visit the village of Nerkar where we were welcomed with hibiscus flowers, shown various food plants as well as traditional dying and weaving techniques, food preparation, kava tasting, and custom dances with drumming. The villagers then provided us with delicious fresh fruit and coconut before bidding us farewell. On the way back to the ship we stopped at the bustling local vegetable market where most all of the produce is transported in hand-woven palm baskets.
Back on the ship a string band provided us with festive entertainment as the galley and steward crew gave us a wonderful deck dinner with fresh sashimi and various Philippino specialties. A festive mood floated on the balmy evening air as another memorable day in the South Pacific came to a close.
