Waking up anchored in close proximity to the small island of Pulau Senua is pleasant enough just having it as a background for breakfast out on deck. However, today we will be able to do for more than just admire it from afar. Like the elaborate and delicious menus we select from every evening, our day of activities off the ship is a true treat. For a cultural appetizer we shuttle ashore for a traditional performance of the Riau Province Islanders. Listening to the rhythmic music and seeing the colourfully clad dancers gracefully move about on the sand while a welcome sea breeze gently blows in to watch adds to this sensory delight. Feeling well and truly welcomed to this idyllic island it is time to explore it more personally. The main course has multiple options and as always, there is nothing wrong with trying everything. In fact, it is in encouraged! Enjoying the shade of the coconut palms on the beach, a quick circumnavigation of the island by Zodiac, walking along the tideline looking for shells or other washed up treasures and, of course, the recreation we’ve all been most looking forward to – snorkelling.
When water is so warm and so clear it would be easy enough to be content just at that, but throw in a vast variety of brilliantly coloured tropical fish and impressive coral structures and it’s no wonder that some chose to skip lunch and continue to feast their eyes on the visual banquet of sights that lies just beneath the surface. An entire ecosystem of thriving life carries on despite the numerous hurdles of overfishing, increasing ocean temperatures and global pollution. It reminds us that to continue to enjoy such things we need to remember that the oceans are more than just a source of food for humans, and that it’s not too late to stop the plate from being scraped clean.
As if to make a point of letting us know that we ourselves are subject to environmental factors, an ominously dark grey afternoon squall appears on the horizon and it’s time to head back to our safe and luxurious ecosystem that is the National Geographic Orion. For the figurative dessert, the daily expedition recap feeds our minds with facts and information about the various aspects of our day. After such a full day it’s tempting to go right to bed, but that would involve missing out on yet another meal that is an adventure unto itself!
