ZECO TRAVEL TALK

On our New Zealand to New Guinea expedition, our stop at Ambrym Island prepares the stage for our cultural and discovery experiences to follow in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Located in the Vanuatu Island group in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, Ambrym Island is best known as a volcanic hotbed of activity and is sometimes called the “black island” after the expansive ash plain covering the interior. Two active volcanoes, Mt. Marum and Mt. Benbow, have had eruptions serious enough to warrant the evacuation of several hundred people. Indeed it is calculated that should Benbow erupt in the coming years the entire island will be wiped out and the formation of a number of small islands is a likely outcome. Read more

Flint Island is the southernmost of the Line Islands chain, some 720 kilometers NNW of Papeete, Tahiti. It seems likely that Magellan was the first to discover Flint Island on February 4th, 1521. We discovered Flint Island some 487 years later and we couldn’t help but wonder what Flint might have looked like in Magellan’s time.

The following is John Earle’s impression upon our arrival on Flint Island. John is a research associate in Ichthyology at Honolulu’s Bishop Museum and has traveled extensively through this part of the central Pacific Ocean in search of new species. He is one of our on board lecturers and natural history guides on this voyage from Hawaii through the Line Islands and on to French Polynesia.

“From aboard the Clipper Odyssey, Flint Island looked invitingly lush and green, and very unlike dry, desolate Starbuck Island, which would have taxed the survival resources even of wily Gilligan. I stepped ashore from the Zodiac onto a rocky platform and waded through several tide pools filled with cowering fish to a dazzling white sand beach, which encircles the island. Beyond the fringing beach was a thick jungle of coconut and Pisonia trees. It was like a Robinson Crusoe island.

Upon entering the forest, we encountered a colony of nesting black noddies and attracted the attention of white terns, several of which fluttered just above my head, staring intently at me with their dark eyes and uttering cries that sounded like ‘poing, poing.’ We came upon a machine gun pillbox constructed of coral blocks that must have dated from World War II and was now the home of an immense coconut crab, which guarded the entrance with waving claws. I found several other coconut crabs and gingerly brought one out of the jungle for others in the group to admire. This crab was a striking blue, but others we saw were different hues of orange and brown. Several were of such a size that I instinctively backed away. There was no shame in this as these crabs were the size of medicine balls. Their menacing claws are strong enough to rip and shred the shell from a coconut only to crush the meat as though it was a banana. This amazing creature is an endangered species throughout most of its range because it is highly sought after by locals, who have called it a ‘land lobster.’ With no flying insects to pester us, the whole experience was idyllic. I vowed to return someday. Read more

Since beginning our voyage on August 28th on the Clipper Odyssey in Hilo, Hawaii, we have not seen any other vessels save for the few anchored off of inhabited Tabuaeran and Christmas Islands.

This morning we arrived at Starbuck Island, first sighted in 1823 by Valentine Starbuck, an American-born master on the whaling ship L’Aigle. It is thought that it might have been sighted earlier by Valentine’s cousin and fellow-whaler, Captain Obed Starbuck, but at least the claim lies within the family. Like its neighbor, Malden Island, Starbuck rises from its reef-fringed coast to a steep beach crest. The interior contains several dark-colored saline lagoons and save for the few small coconut palm groves, it is sparsely vegetated with atoll shrubs, herbs, and low grasses. The island is an important breeding site for seabirds, including an important colony of sooty terns (Sterna fuscata), with several million birds, much as we witnessed on Malden. It is protected as a strict wildlife sanctuary although we did find the skull of a cat (Felis felis) upon our visit – not especially good news for a bird sanctuary. Many of these far-flung islands also have the introduced Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans).

Apparently there are the remains of many old wooden sailing ships on the northern shore of the island, flung bodily over the beach rampart by violent storms in the past. We didn’t see any ship wreckage but Starbuck Island is a beachcomber’s treasure trove. Our morning activities consisted of diving and snorkeling. While we were busy with our underwater activities, John Yersin, our Expedition Leader, tenaciously looked for and eventually discovered a small entry into the reef just big enough for a Zodiac to enter. As we disembarked the Zodiacs, we walked the 100-yards through thigh-high shallows towards the glistening white coral beach. Several fish including small black-tipped reef sharks and “virgin” bonefish scattered at our approach.

The flotsam lining the high tide line was quite a surprise especially considering that Starbuck is quite distant from any inhabited island. Among the debris were thousands of unpaired rubber thongs, faded plastic lighters, unbroken fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs, bottle caps, curiously-shaped bottles now emptied, fishing nets and line, plastic bottles and tubes, rusting cans, plastic sheeting, oil drum lids, unidentifiable plastic items, and more – much more. Several Japanese glass fishing floats were found with one exceptionally large one, weighing about 40-pounds, too large for the “finders” to bring back to the landing site. However, the find of the day, something I have never found in my many days of beachcombing, was a bottle with a message in it!

The finder of the bottle brought it back to the ship and carefully, very carefully, undid the screw cap of the bottle. Inside were a cork and a one-page typed message on a fragile piece of paper. Since it was typewritten in Spanish, Edmundo Edwards, our archaeologist from Easter Island, translated it for us. There was no date, no name or address – nothing with which to identify the author. The good news was that he or she wasn’t marooned on a deserted island nor did they seem to be in great distress. You know when you watch a foreign film and the actor talks at length but the caption only reads “I need a cup of coffee?” This was just the same except that the full page came down to one brief message and that was – “We need world peace.” Who could argue with that message?

We departed Starbuck Island not without having considered cleaning up the beach. However, such a task seemed daunting for although we might fill up the entire garbage storage area of the Clipper Odyssey we would not make a dent in the amount of trash on an island that was otherwise pristine. An empty tanker ship, several volunteers, and several weeks with which to complete the job are what’s needed for the job. Perhaps Starbucks Coffee might consider sponsoring the expedition and you might consider joining.

Next stop…and our last in the Line Island group…Flint Island. Daniel Defoe, the 17th-18th century author, could have just as easily modeled his Robinson Crusoe Island on Flint rather than Juan Fernández Islands which gets all the credit.

Be sure to come back and visit us on this site to find what we discovered…

“Fair Winds”
Shirley Metz

Malden and Starbuck Islands are the northernmost islands of the southern part of the Line Islands in the Republic of Kiribati. Both Malden and Starbuck are coral atolls and were mined extensively from the late 1800s until the early 1900s for phosphates. Phosphate deposits are guano deposited by seabirds over the countless years that the islands have stood above the surface of the sea. Used for fertilizers and during WWII for explosives, guano contains about 11 to 16 percent nitrogen, 8 to 12 percent phosphoric acid, and 2 to 3 percent potash. In 1957 Malden, together with Kiritimati, was used as a site for the development of nuclear weapons as part of Britain’s Operation Grapple.

Malden is the second largest member of the Line Islands. At the center of the island, the highest point of which is 25 feet above sea level, is a low shallow lagoon which contains numerous small islets and ridges composed of coral rubble. The lagoon is not connected to the open ocean; instead water exchange takes place through subterranean fissures. It is beneath the lagoon waters that an estimated 25-30-million tons of unconsolidated articulate gypsum is believed to lie. The Kiribati government has undertaken feasibility studies to assess the extraction of the island’s gypsum deposits. However, as with the other uninhabited islands of the southern group, Malden is protected as a Wildlife Sanctuary and Closed Area. It is an important breeding island for gray-backed terns (sterna lunata), red-tailed tropicbirds (phaethon rubricauda melanorhynchos), and lesser frigatebirds (fregata ariel). Nine other species are also known to breed on the island including sooty terns (sterna fuscata.) It is also an important winter-stop for the bristle-thighed curlew (numenius tahitiensis), a migrant from Alaska. This latter species is now threatened due to habitat destruction.

When we landed on Malden we saw scattered throughout the island the remains of the guano industry – lava-stone remnants of buildings, rusting hulks of machinery, and decaying debris, some 50 years old or more. One would hardly expect to find this mess on a Wildlife Sanctuary island, but hey, the birds take what they can get. With conservation funding and will on the part of Kiribati government, the “trashed” areas of the island could be cleaned up and restored to a more pristine state. To mine the gypsum would be inexcusable and would destroy this precious habitat. We were dismayed to find a pathetic-looking black cat on the island beneath the red-footed booby nests. There were several bird bones at the base of the shrubs and the cat looked to be the guilty culprit. We attempted to catch the cat but it proved too wily for us ill-equipped cat-catchers. The unfortunate aspect of the presence of a cat on such a remote island is that it is unlikely that this is a 50-year-old cat. There are most likely more feral cats on the island with which it breeds. Cats can quickly decimate an entire species of bird. Read more

There are many wonderful features as regards our Zegrahm Expeditions journey upon the Clipper Odyssey from Hawaii to Papeete. Not only are we visiting countries that members of the Century Club Travelers want for their “I’ve been there” list but the information that we are learning from our onboard lecturers is exceptional.

One of our lecturers is John Earl, a research associate in ichthyology at Honolulu’s Bishop Museum. John has compiled a checklist of fish species from the areas we are visiting and has generously shared his wealth of knowledge both in his lectures and out in the water while we are snorkeling. John has visited the Line Islands several times in the past – the following are some of his impressions.

Fanning Island, Septmeber 3, 2008: “As the sun rose, a thin green line materialized on the horizon. Gradually, from the deck of the Clipper Odyssey, I could make out a few buildings amid the groves of palm trees that lined the shore. So far, Fanning Island appeared unchanged from when I last visited in 1979, but change is inevitable and I knew that once I was ashore, it would be apparent. We landed at English Harbor in our Zodiacs and it was as though I had entered a time warp. Nothing had changed! The same buildings… the people looked the same… and not a single Starbucks in sight. This was the little island that time forgot. After lunch, I led a snorkel group exploring coral gardens just offshore from the village. There were many colorful reef fish, but a reduced number of edible fish, as one might expect outside a native village. The highlight of the snorkel venture was later in the afternoon when we made two drift snorkels and dives, riding the incoming tide into the lagoon, swept at high speed over a coral reef teeming with tropical fishes. To my surprise and delight, we all saw one of the glories of Line Island fish fauna: the goldspotted angelfish, Apolemichthys xanthopunctatus. I could not have imagined that we would see this exotic beauty at snorkel depths.” John Earl

Christmas Island, September 4, 2008: “It felt strange to be arriving at Christmas Island by ship, for all of my numerous trips here over the past 30 years had been by air. Of course, flying to Christmas Island was a bit like roulette because of the unreliability of air service. One of my friends was stranded here for two months when air service was unexpectedly suspended. We landed in London and were greeted by native singers and dancers and a group of very cute children in grass skirts, trying to dance but obviously distracted by the antics of these strangers from abroad. We boarded “Christmas Island buses,” large flat-bed trucks with U-shaped benches running along both sides and the back of the cab, topped with brightly-colored cushions and a canopy to shield from the equatorial sun, and began our tour of London and its environs. We returned to the ship for lunch, then split up for various group activities.

While my wife went with a group to see the seabirds on Cook Island, I was with a group of snorkelers just offshore. The reef is what is known as a “tongue and groove” formation, the grooves being channels for returning in-rushing water in periods of high surf. Fish life was rich, possibly aided by the rain of fertilizer from the clouds of seabirds above. While my count of butterflyfish on Fanning Island was a respectable 14 of the 21 species I have recorded from the Line Islands, in this one spot off Christmas Island I recorded 20 of the 21 species, including Chaetodon semeion, the dotted butterflyfish, which I had only seen twice before in all my trips here. I was amazed to find so many butterflyfish species in one spot, indicating that this is a very prolific reef indeed. I returned to the ship with a very happy group of snorkelers.” John Earl

We are looking forward to the next Line Island on our itinerary—Malden Island and then to Starbuck…Island, that is! We doubt that we’ll find any caffeine refreshments on an uninhabited atoll, but one never knows what you’ll find out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!

“Fair Winds,”
Shirley Metz

As we make our way southwards down the Line Island chain in the central Pacific Ocean, we spend time out on the deck of the Clipper Odyssey looking out beyond the horizon, surrounded only by deep blue sea. Occasionally seabirds cross our path or flying fish sail through the air as if pretending to be birds on wings.

And what of the mysterious necklace that Edmundo Edwards (pictured left), tried so desperately to find on Tabuaeran (Fanning) Island? (Please see my previous blog post) Edmundo, the renowned Pacific Islands archaeologist who resides on Easter Island, first visited Tabuaeran in 1995. It was on this visit to the isolated atoll in the Line Island chain that Edmundo made a remarkable discovery that he felt might provide a missing link to the ancient migrations throughout the Pacific.

A schoolteacher on the island had dug an outhouse for the new school on the island. He was surprised when his shovel uncovered a gravesite containing bones complete with skull and artifacts which included an intricately-carved whale-tooth necklace. The teacher had stored the items in a cardboard box. Upon learning that an archaeologist had arrived on Fanning Island the teacher asked Edmundo to look at the items. When Edmundo saw the unusual necklace he was thrilled because carvings of such quality would only have belonged to an individual of high rank. Similar necklaces have been found in Tonga so this necklace might help prove the theory that the earliest settlers on Tabuaeran came from there.

Now, several years after that first visit, Edmundo hoped to photograph the necklace once again. The teacher was no longer here but he was told that the necklace was still at the school. Armed with that hope, Edmundo assembled a volunteer team to make the one-hour journey across the island only to be told upon arrival that no one knew of its whereabouts. (Phones and communication on these islands are basically non-existent.)

The Clipper Odyssey was soon underway for our next destination—Christmas Island. We were no more than a few of miles off the coast of Tabuaeran when the Kiribati agent onboard said that just as we were leaving someone had told him that the necklace was hanging on the wall of one of the rooms of the small school…which meant that Edmundo had been no more than a few feet from his quest.

Many of the islands throughout the Pacific, no matter how isolated, have had inhabitants throughout its history. Because there is little, if any, research done on these islands who knows how many necklaces…or skulls…there are yet to be uncovered.

“Fair Winds,”
Shirley Metz

Aloha from Kiribati,

One of our well-traveled clients just shared with me that he loves traveling with Zegrahm Expeditions because we go to places that he’s never heard of. I must admit that although I have always wanted to visit the Line Islands I really had no idea that I actually wished to go to the Republic of Kiribati. I might be forgiven my naiveté because this vast area was only granted complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati (pronounced KEER-a-bas).

So where exactly are we!? The Clipper Odyssey, as we “blog,” is sailing the central Pacific Ocean en route from Hilo, Hawaii, to Kiribati. Kiribati encompasses the 16 Gilbert Islands, Banaba (formerly Ocean Island), the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands group. Of Kiribati’s 33 islands, only 20 are inhabited.

For the most part, the islands are atolls, some of which were used for U.S. and British nuclear testing in the 1960s. Today coconut palms dominate the landscape. Fishing licenses, fish farms, as well as products of the reef and the ocean are the mainstay income for the estimated 95,000 islanders. The Kiribati ethnic composition is mainly Micronesian with some Polynesian.

By the end of 2008, Kiribati will set aside a California-sized ocean wilderness by declaring the world’s largest marine protected area. This will dramatically expand the already established PIPA (Phoenix Islands Protected Area,) the world’s third largest marine protected area. Status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has been applied for as the reserve will conserve one of the Earth’s last intact oceanic coral archipelago ecosystems, one that teems with pristine reefs, fish, and bird life. However, this will not come at a small cost for the impoverished nation. The government stands to lose an estimated 33 million U.S. dollars since commercial fishing will be restricted. The Boston-based New England Aquarium, with technical aid from Conservation International, are involved in the funding efforts. It is hoped that with the new UNESCO status tourism will give a boost to the Kiribati economy. Read more

Having graduated from the University of Hawaii, I lived for several years on both Oahu and Maui. I have always been interested in the chain of islands to the north which leads to Midway Island; I eventually did visit Midway. Equally fascinating to me was the southern group of islands leading from Kona. These are the Line Islands, a group of low-lying and extremely remote coral islands, atolls, and reefs straddling the equator in the Central Pacific. There are eleven islands in all, with most of the 425 square km being comprised of the large atoll of Kiritimati. Eight of the islands – Flint, Kiritimati, Malden, Millennium Atoll, Tabuaran, Teraina, Starbuck, and Vostok – are part of the Republic of Kiribati. The group forms one of the remotest island chains on Earth.

Why the interest? At age 16, I become a certified diver at Pearl Harbor. I learned about the Line Islands and how it was one of the most pristine reef systems in the world. I was never able to reach the Line Islands because logistics are near-impossible. So when Zegrahm Expeditions decided to travel to this part of the South Pacific enroute to such other South Pacific voyages as the Tuamotus, Marquesas, Tahiti, Pitcairn, etc, I just had to go. However, for the first time ever, I decided to travel as a passenger on a Zegrahm Expeditions trip. On many of our trips I will work as snorkel-master while our excellent staff of dive masters look after the divers. And so I am on holiday…as a diver. One of my life’s ambitions will be finally realized – over 40 years later.

Imagine my surprise when my July 2008 National Geographic magazine arrived with a photo of a Mountain Gorilla gracing its cover. Inside is an article about the Line Islands – be sure to look up the article; you may have overlooked it as it’s the last article in the magazine entitled: Kingman Reef.

Stand by on the blog for first-hand reports of the voyage and the Line Islands which I’ll be sending from the Clipper Odyssey later this month.

Aloha,
Shirley