Since leaving NW Australia aboard the Seabourn Pursuit Dragon’s South Pacific journeys can best be described as Dragon Expedition: Paradise Islands. Working on a luxury expedition ship has some unique challenges for sure; no days off, seafarer hierarchy restrictions, isolation and loneliness for home. Offsetting those challenges are the perks inherent to expedition cruising like visiting a new isolated island paradise nearly every single day. In Dragon’s most recent adventures she has visited multiple remote locations in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
So much has happened since our last post. This particular post was drafted with the intent of simply updating you all on Dragon’s adventures in August 2024. Due to a multitude of factors both technical and physical we’ve had a ton of things to adapt to causing a lengthy delay. Along the way Dog has had the opportunity to join the adventure in Guam. We’ve been fortunate to travel together again for a few weeks, adding the Federated States of Micronesia, Vanuatu, and Fiji to the list of places visited. It seems fitting to make this post a bit longer to cover as much of the intervening story as possible.
Shore Excursions
For most shore excursions the ship’s medical team is required to go ashore with the guests. That means the medical team is “burdened” with perfect Instagram worthy beach days and required to experience the local culture of multiple tiny villages on the remote islands of the region. Dragon has met many friendly locals, observed native dances, and discovered a variety of exotic plants and animals all while working shore duty.
One interesting and disgusting discovery in this part of the world is an addictive drug habit called Betel Nut. The locals pick a certain nut from a tree that when chewed with a bit of mineral lime and mustard seed produces a stimulant effect. It also stains the entire mouth and teeth blood red, generates copious amounts of red saliva that gets spit out seemingly everywhere, and is responsible for a variety of physical ailments such as mouth cancer. The betel nut habit is widespread across Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, although it has various names across the region.
Sea Kayaking
One of the highlights of Dragon’s recent adventures was an opportunity to kayak in a crazy Indonesian rock island paradise. Yapap Lagoon at Misool Island was a visually stunning paradise. Shallow, crystal clear blue green waters are interspersed with karst limestone rock formations that rise dramatically from the water creating a truly epic landscape. It was an exceptional, unforgettable experience.
Flora and Fauna
Compared to our previous outdoor experiences in the United States, Europe, and South America this region of the world has provided a seemingly endless supply of new flora and fauna to enjoy. The myriad diversity of unusual plants is fascinating. Many of the plants growing huge and abundant here are frankly things we’ve only previously seen as delicate potted houseplants in Colorado.
Beyond the diversity of exotic plant life there is also an endless opportunity to enjoy animals of an exotic nature. Some of the creatures of the earth have included small colorful lizards, a variety of crabs large and small, and large monitor lizards. There has been a constant flow of new birds to see including boobies, frigate birds, great hornbills, cockatiels, and the bird of paradise to name a few. Of course we can’t forget the diversity of life under the sea in this semi-aquatic adventure. Dolphins, sea stars, flying fish, sharks, sea turtles, and too many colorful fish to keep track of. The joys of the natural world here have brought one magical experience after another.
Snorkeling and Submarines
One of the best parts of this journey has been our ability to experience life under the sea. Both Dog and Dragon have been able to spend some time snorkeling in the beautiful waters of the region. While we’ve both put on a mask and snorkel to explore some beaches before, this was the first time either of us have snorkeled among tropical reefs with such an incredible amount of color and diversity of life. Dog even snorkeled at the site of sunken WWII Japanese Zero in Chuuk lagoon, an area known for amazing underwater dive opportunities.
Even more unique was the opportunity we’ve each had to descend into the depths of the Pacific aboard a custom built submarine. Seabourn expeditions has two mini submarines on the Pursuit that take guests down to explore areas that are even too deep for scuba divers. The submarine adventure was so exciting and unforgettable.
So Many Things!
Dragon Expedition: Paradise Islands has now covered almost two months. Dog’s time on the ship is rapidly approaching an end for this journey. There have been so many experiences we’ve actually left out of this post, because there have just been so many things! Some other experiences that we’ve recently shared on Instagram have included Dragon’s visit to a sea turtle sanctuary in the Conflict Islands, Dog’s rainy outing to the UNESCO World Heritage site Nan Madol on the island of Pohnpei, Dragon experiencing an exciting nighttime fire dance in Papua New Guinea, a Dog canoe trip to a glorious blue hole swim on Vanuatu, and Dog participating in an awesome zip line excursion on Fiji that included visiting one of the largest limestone caves in the South Pacific.
At this point Dragon Expedition: Paradise Islands has been incredible. While the current journey is rapidly coming to a close for Dog the journey will continue for Dragon. Her upcoming adventures will include Easter Island, Pitcairn Islands, Chile, Argentina, and the opportunity to set foot on Antarctica. Stay tuned for more Dragon Expeditions of 2024.
