Viwa Island, Yasawa Group, Fiji
Yesterday we began our expedition of the western South Pacific Ocean in Lautoka City, Fiji. Lautoka is the second largest city (population 50,000) in Fiji, and is situated on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu. It is sometimes called the “Sugar City” as it is the headquarters for Fiji’s very important sugar industry. Lautoka contains the country’s largest sugar mill (which is also the city’s biggest employer), a massive sugar loading and storage facility, and the famous “Sugar Wharf”. Sugar became a very important Fijian commodity in the late 19th century, but a shortage of indigenous labor to work the plantations persuaded the British authorities to bring in indentured Indian immigrant workers, many of whom stayed on in Fiji after their contracts expired. Today the population of Fiji is 49% native Fijians and 42% Indian descendants. We sailed from the pier in Lautoka during the wee hours of last night and were off to explore the eastern-most regions of Melanesia, and one of the more than 300 islands in Fiji. Our destination was Viwa Island in the Yasawa Group of Fiji.
This morning we encountered our first real abundance of South Pacific wildlife. Just in front of the National Geographic Endeavour we came upon a giant “bait ball”, or large group of small fish being driven to the surface by predatory (and very fast) tuna. The sea was boiling with movement from below, and from above we spotted at least ten species of seabirds trying to get in on the feeding frenzy. As if that weren’t enough, several sei whales were surfacing and feeding too, and at times we weren’t sure which way to look first. We all gathered out on deck for well over an hour as the bubbling bait ball moved up and down, back and forth, and a few predators were lucky enough to grab a meal, or so it appeared.
After lunch we ventured over a shallow fringing reef for a visit to Viwa Island, and as we found out, we were the first passenger vessel to visit the island in over ten years. Most of the children, therefore, had never encountered foreigners at all, and we were warmly greeted and welcomed ashore by all. We strolled through the village and past many “burres” or thatched houses, some of us did a little shopping for locally made handicrafts, a few of the more adventurous (or naïve?) of us joined in on a customary kava-drinking ceremony (“high tide” or “low tide” which meant a “full cup” or a “half cup”), and several of us met the local schoolmaster.
Once back over the reef and out to the ship, Captain Karl Ulrich-Lampe hosted a Welcome Cocktail Party and Dinner where he officially welcomed us onboard and introduced us to the ship’s officers. We were gently lulled asleep as the National Geographic Endeavour sailed toward distant and lesser-known lands; the islands of Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides).
Yesterday we began our expedition of the western South Pacific Ocean in Lautoka City, Fiji. Lautoka is the second largest city (population 50,000) in Fiji, and is situated on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu. It is sometimes called the “Sugar City” as it is the headquarters for Fiji’s very important sugar industry. Lautoka contains the country’s largest sugar mill (which is also the city’s biggest employer), a massive sugar loading and storage facility, and the famous “Sugar Wharf”. Sugar became a very important Fijian commodity in the late 19th century, but a shortage of indigenous labor to work the plantations persuaded the British authorities to bring in indentured Indian immigrant workers, many of whom stayed on in Fiji after their contracts expired. Today the population of Fiji is 49% native Fijians and 42% Indian descendants. We sailed from the pier in Lautoka during the wee hours of last night and were off to explore the eastern-most regions of Melanesia, and one of the more than 300 islands in Fiji. Our destination was Viwa Island in the Yasawa Group of Fiji.
This morning we encountered our first real abundance of South Pacific wildlife. Just in front of the National Geographic Endeavour we came upon a giant “bait ball”, or large group of small fish being driven to the surface by predatory (and very fast) tuna. The sea was boiling with movement from below, and from above we spotted at least ten species of seabirds trying to get in on the feeding frenzy. As if that weren’t enough, several sei whales were surfacing and feeding too, and at times we weren’t sure which way to look first. We all gathered out on deck for well over an hour as the bubbling bait ball moved up and down, back and forth, and a few predators were lucky enough to grab a meal, or so it appeared.
After lunch we ventured over a shallow fringing reef for a visit to Viwa Island, and as we found out, we were the first passenger vessel to visit the island in over ten years. Most of the children, therefore, had never encountered foreigners at all, and we were warmly greeted and welcomed ashore by all. We strolled through the village and past many “burres” or thatched houses, some of us did a little shopping for locally made handicrafts, a few of the more adventurous (or naïve?) of us joined in on a customary kava-drinking ceremony (“high tide” or “low tide” which meant a “full cup” or a “half cup”), and several of us met the local schoolmaster.
Once back over the reef and out to the ship, Captain Karl Ulrich-Lampe hosted a Welcome Cocktail Party and Dinner where he officially welcomed us onboard and introduced us to the ship’s officers. We were gently lulled asleep as the National Geographic Endeavour sailed toward distant and lesser-known lands; the islands of Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides).
