ZECO TRAVEL TALK

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

Larry Taylor explored Melanesia & Micronesia onboard the Clipper Odyssey with Zegrahm Expeditions and wrote an insightful article about his travels in the region. As Larry so cleverly explains it ‘Going from one intense experience to the next–that is travel at its best.’ Read the article, Sailing the South Seas to Fun and Adventure for his views on the myriad of natural wonders and friendly islanders he encountered along the way.

Sunshine and blue skies added to our fantastic morning at Ossora Town on the coast of Karaginskiy Island off the Kamchatka Peninsula. On shore, all the Koryak people were waiting for us… We watched a fish gutting demonstration and three passengers tried their hand at gutting their own fish. Afterwards, we were treated to wonderful traditional dancing and a reindeer lassoing demonstration.

Another sunny day made our landing in Glybokaya Bay nothing short of spectacular. Even before breakfast, as we cruised into the fjord, we saw several bears up on the snowfields. Ashore, we had more excellent sightings and good photo ops; even those who stayed on the ship were treated to some great bear watching. Our Zodiac tour later in the day yielded yet more bear viewing—and quite close up—and we didn’t know where to look first. Our tally, for this one day alone, was 25 bears—give or take a couple!

At Peters Bay we went ashore for beautiful nature walks—towering volcanoes under a blue sky and no mosquitoes made the day extra great. In the afternoon, at Bogaslov Island, we jumped into Zodiacs, zipped right up almost to shore and watched and photographed more than 100 walrus! This trip has been such an incredible wildlife extravaganza…

After cruising the Kiel Canal and officially entering the Baltic Sea, we were excited to begin our adventures in some of Europe’s most historic cities and towns. Ronne, on Denmark’s Bornholm Island, was so quaint and we walked past colorful houses capped with clay tile roofs and gorgeous blooming gardens before sitting down to an amazing lunch—a banquet of local dishes with fresh vegetables from local gardens, and a Danish apple crumble dessert that practically had us moaning!

We spent the next day in fascinating Gdansk, Poland and our morning tour gave us a somber lesson in the history of Solidarity, well-presented by local guides. We then strolled the pedestrian-only streets of Old Town, enjoyed delicious coffee and some fun shopping, and visited magnificent St. Mary’s, the largest brick church in the world. Our next country is Lithuania!

We’re into the Russia part of our Japan to Kamchatka adventure—or so says the map. If it wasn’t for the Russian writing on the side of a building, you’d think we were in Antarctica! Northern fur seals and Steller’s sea lions by the thousands covered the beaches of Tyuleniy Island off the coast of Sakhalin—the island’s name means “seal.” On Shimushir, while we were exploring an old Soviet base, a beautiful little Siberian rubythroat put in an appearance and we all had the chance for a good close-up look. The weather was wonderful, clear and calm, and in the afternoon many of us walked to the top of Yankicha Island for incredible views across the sinking volcanic caldera. A bonus photo op (though blackmail also comes to mind!) was the impromptu hot spring dug out by our expedition crew who could be spotted huddled in the little pool in their undies—“researching the hot-bath bird list, ” they later explained. Hmmmm.

We stayed at anchor in the evening and saw the most amazing site. All three species of auklets came in to nest overnight on the island. It was like a huge haze of birds, so many it looked like a swarm of locusts and not like birds at all. Truly awesome. The next day was chilly and foggy, but our Zodiac explorations of Srednego Islands rewarded us with hundreds of seals and sea lions surrounding us in the water. And, as we sailed to Matua Island, we had the most incredible encounter with more than 30 orca—the photos should be fantastic!

This morning during a spectacular sunrise—made even more dramatic by the rare presence of clouds—we headed toward what appeared to be a mesa rising from the middle of the ocean. This apparition was, in fact, Montgomery Reef which is only visible during low tide. The roughly 80-mile long reef is submerged twice a day—by extreme tides. We cruised to a suitable drop-off point, passing rafting-worthy waterfalls and turbulent rivers of sea water still pouring off the reef.

Once ashore, and mindful of the myriad potentially toxic animals around us, we diligently followed our staff biologists and naturalists from one amazing living creature to the next. Almost immediately we were investigating small octopus, rays, living corals, giant bailer snails, and even a spectacularly bold mantis shrimp. Feeling more confident, we walked over crunching dead corals and through nearly seven inches of remaining water. Engrossed in our own explorations, or joining smaller groups, we all had one ear tuned to the occasional yelp of discovery and, as quickly as our water shoes could squelch, we made our way over to be sure we didn’t miss anything. We spent several hours in total tidal pool bliss before heading back to the ship for cookies and stories of who saw how many of what.

Bolivia is a country like no other. Our exploration of this highest, poorest, and least known South American nation proved to be that perfect blend of travel and adventure: some of our pre-conceptions enhanced, and others shattered.

Never ones to enjoy “down time” in an exotic locale, on our first day in La Paz we transformed our “morning at leisure” into a dawn excursion along the famous crossing to Coroico, known as “The Most Dangerous Road on Earth.” Climbing out of the high city bowl of La Paz, we were met by a rare scene on El Cumbre pass: llama herds wandering through a snowy wonderland against a dramatic backdrop of rugged peaks. Later, we explored the colorful streets of the city’s Witches’ Market, where traditional remedies of dried armadillos and llama fetuses adorned the exteriors of traders’ stores.

After a scenic journey to the remote village of Uyuni, on the salt flats of the same name, we witnessed the surface of the world’s highest, largest, and surely most spectacular expanse of salt. The dazzling whiteness, brilliant blue sky, and multi-hued volcano was the setting for lunch, with rosy-pink Andean flamingos foraging along the lake shore. Our journey deep into the heart of Potosi’s mountain of silver, Cerro Rico, gave us fascinating and sobering insights into the Colonial history of South America. And the Sunday market in Tarabuco, with its potato-tossing vegetable sellers and piles of magnificent woven fabrics, is surely one of South America’s most traditional and colorful markets. Read more

We were all excited by the sunshine and dazzling surroundings here in the remote Kimberley as we headed to Bathhurst Island in the “Xplorer,” the excursion vessel that can take everyone from our ship to shore together… Local Aboriginal Tiwi guides met us and we began a great day exploring and learning about this fascinating culture. We visited a workshop, Ngaruwanajirri, where traditional artwork is created by disabled Tiwis. In a Quonset-style building massive panels painted with Tiwi designs tiled the entire ceiling, while the artisans’ tools and works in progress were spread out neatly along the floor. Most of us purchased a variety of the beautiful artwork, including hand-painted textiles and hand-carved masks. Our next stop was a typical Tiwi church, elaborately decorated with a blend of hand-carved western Christian icons and traditionally painted Tiwi animal designs.

At the Museum for History of the Island and People, our guide detailed the various components of Tiwi history through artifacts, sacred burial totems, vintage photography, and traditional jewelry. We were also treated to homemade tea and bread, Tiwi basket weaving, and Tiwi face-painting. At a Tiwi dance and ironwood cleansing ceremony, painted Tiwi men and women brought smoked branches to each member of our group for blessings of good luck and health, followed by dances evocative of indigenous animals. For birders, a pair of sulphur-crested cockatoos patrolled the surrounding trees long enough to take photos of them. Waving goodbye from the Xplorer to our new Tiwi friends and guides, we headed back to the ship for Peter Zika’s first lecture: “Sex and the Single Flower.” It was a magical day.