Torres Strait, Papua New Guinea, 5/13/2024, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
Indonesia & Papua New Guinea
Today we continued our voyage west as we spent the day at sea, and this morning we were greeted by a lovely rainbow. We listened to several presentations, including one from our special guest speaker, Valerie Taylor. A pioneer in marine conservation, she talked about her first travels to the Asmat in the 1970’s, where we will be in two days. The amazing hotel staff made sure we were never hungry, and since it was a beautiful day, hosted lunch outside.
Sailing west into the sunset, we ended this great day voyaging through this immense ocean, just as so many others have done before us.
Born and raised in Alabama, Alex's connection to nature took shape as a child living in a state park and then in his formative years spent in Gulf Shores, AL. Where white sandy beaches meet the pine forest of the Southeast.
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This morning, we woke to high winds and a considerable swell from the south. As ever, Expedition Leader Lucho ventured to find us more sheltered water. We settled on the northern side of Satonda Island, a large crater island with a fully enclosed saltwater lake. After a successful scouting trip, we lowered the Zodiacs for a snorkelling session on the shallow reef that fringes the coastline. Those in the water were treated to sights of anemone fish, moray eels, and large schools of varying reef fish. Once snorkelling was complete, we ventured out to the island of Sumbawa for a cultural visit. Here we got to witness the fantastic dance and musical talents of the local community. We also watched a local custom which involves children attempting to climb a greased pole to reach the prizes suspended at the top. It was another great day aboard National Geographic Orion .
Today was volcanoes and ships day. This might sound like a weird combo, but in true expedition form, we landed at Sangeang Island, an active volcano, made some local friends and they brought us hiking up the alluvial outwash to find a cave with swiftlets nesting. Afterwards, our Bugis friends took us to their village where they were deep in the construction of an enormous, traditionally built wooden Phinisi ship. A climb inside gave us an appreciation for the scale and craftsmanship (the Bugis have been ship building for 400 years). As the sun set, we headed back to our own beautiful ship even more appreciative of National Geographic Orion ’s beautiful form and comforts.
National Geographic Orion tied up on a remote dock in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. After boarding some especially colorful buses, we began a journey over narrow roads leading into the highlands of an ancient volcanic landscape. Upon our arrival into the village of Watublapi, it became clear that our ascent into the highlands had also taken us on a journey back in time. Beaming with pride, the villagers shared their dance, music, songs, cigarettes, handicrafts, food, and even coconut wine. The highlands have been home for these Austro-Papuan cultures for the last 40,000 years. They’ve made full use of the palms for thatch, the bamboo for construction, the rattan for binding, and the plants and animals for sustenance. The delicate process of weaving and dying cotton ikat into shirts, cloaks, and hats has been mastered by the women of Watublapi. The colorful dyes are also derived from forest plants, including indigo leaves and kebuka roots. The greatest skill, care, and pride have been poured into this process for generations. After sharing an afternoon with this generous tribe, it was quickly obvious that they’d also mastered the art of having fun and spreading joy.
