Maskelyne and Ambrym Islands, Vanuatu

Early morning found us making our way very slowly and carefully among the Maskelyne Islands, a beautiful group of small forested islets on the southeast corner of Malakula Island. Strong tidal currents marked the deep water between extensive reef flats in this uncharted and little traveled part of the world, and the captain dropped anchor deep in the island chain. The scouting report came back with glowing reports of beautiful reefs and bountiful fishes, and we spent the morning with water sports in the clear, warm waters of this tropical paradise. Snorkelers and divers alike came back to the ship spouting expletives and long lists of things that they had seen under the surface of the sea: anemone fish (i.e. Nemo), lion fish, many species of parrot fishes, butterfly fish, large clams, an octopus, surgeon fish, unicorn fish and a host of soft and hard corals. The colors and variety were simply stunning. Many of us also had the opportunity to visit the reef in our glass bottom boat and marvel at the beauty and diversity of the reef community without even getting wet. By 11:00, we were all back aboard and ready to head northeast 30 miles to the northwest corner of Ambrym Island, an active volcano and our village stop for the afternoon.

And what a stop it was! The Zodiacs landed us on a beautiful black sand beach, and once all ashore, we participated in an elaborate greeting ceremony with gifts and speeches presented all around. Our male hosts were dressed only in a “namba,” which is the Vanuatu equivalent of the New Guinea penis sheath but a woven wrap rather than a gourd. After the formalities, we were treated to a traditional Rom Dance that lasted well over an hour and included men chanting and drumming while dressed in a “namba” as well as 10 or more men completely covered in dried leaf costumes and an elaborate headdress/mask. Traditionally, the secret sect of Rom dancers would chase women and children around the village and terrorize them into good behavior but even without the chase today, the children were very attentive and didn’t miss a beat. After the Rom dance, we had a chance to buy some of the famous carvings of the village, visit with the people and some of us even took a nature hike steeply up the hill to the next village. By sunset, we were all back aboard the good ship, National Geographic Endeavour, and soon enjoying a delicious dinner served on the festively decorated deck. What a lovely way to end a day of true adventure in one of the most remote parts of the South Pacific.