Skimming across flat calm seas, a world rich with corals was revealed through the crystal clear water below. Our Zodiacs were carrying us to the lovely, small island of Pulau Senua where we had a full morning of activities ahead.
We were warmly welcomed by a group of local performers who had arrived in a fleet of small boats from the main island of Besar. This was our first taste of Indonesian traditional dance and musical instrument performances. Lawrence Blair provided commentary and explanation on what we were seeing. First was the “silat,” a martial arts dance demonstrating their strength to visitors. This was followed with a welcome dance performed by beautiful and traditionally attired young women from a local high school. Last was a men’s group, in handsome lavender suits, beating out a working rhythm with the long poles used for rice husking. Though most did not speak English, it was easy to connect with these sweet and beautiful people through smiles and sharing our images with them. In an unexpected cultural twist, the young women were soon taking photos with their cell phones posing with us, and texting them off to their friends.
As the morning became hotter, swimming and snorkeling were the perfect activities to follow. The snorkeling was superb for viewing the fantastic coral heads. There were enormous tabletop corals, multi-level platforms providing shelter for a variety of colorful fishes. Swimmers at the beach lolled comfortably in the warm water. Helene appeared from down the beach with a surprise visitor, a young hawksbill sea turtle that the locals had found tangled in a fishing net near their landing spot. We all had a good look and were delighted to watch as the youngster sped away, free again! In the background, the sky was rumbling and clouds were gathering. In the distance we could see a rainsquall and bits of lightening. Wind and waves riffled our calm landing and it was time to wrap up and head back to the National Geographic Orion for lunch.
The afternoon brought shipboard activities beginning with Jack Swenson’s talk, “Photo Essentials: Bringing Light to Life,” which was followed by hands-on breakout sessions. Following tea, Lawrence Blair gave a fascinating talk on the background of the Malay Archipelago, highlighting the important contributions to the world through the history of the region. The evening brought us an amazing seafood buffet, a perfect end to a wonderful day.
