29 Oct 2016

Plenty of Adventures at Leli and Ngongosila Island

As the sun rose above the horizon, the rain eased and a clear day greeted those of us who were out of bed early.  

At 0600hrs the birding team boarded the zodiacs and headed inland into the mountains to indulge in their passion interest.  Birding this early in the morning gives the best chance to see the plentiful endemic species in the cooler part of the day.

The Captain repositioned the Spirit of Enderby out to Leli Island where the expedition team scouted to look for a snorkeling position for the morning.  What a place they found!  We were all amazed at the clarity of the water and the white sandy beaches that greeted us as our zodiac drivers made their way carefully towards the horse-shoe shaped lagoon.  A break was found in the reef system that allowed the nimble zodiacs to nose into the beach and expeditioners sunk their toes into the warm sand.  As we entered the clear warm blue water and explored in our own time, we discovered hard and soft corals,  colourful reef fish and other creatures.  Some were in the water for over two hours!  Other expeditioners chose to take an interesting hike with our plant expert, Moshi, to gain a better understanding of the plants around the shoreline. 

We returned back to the ship for lunch and break from the outside heat and departed at 1345pm for Ngongoslia Island - a small well-kept island with very little spare space.  Warriors greeted us in welcome before we were formally welcomed by the local chief and given an insight into their way of life.  Traditional Sing-Sing performances from locals was warmly received by us all.  Sadly it was time to depart and head for the next Island although memories of this day will be with us for a long time to come. 

Photo of welcome onto beach in Melanesia (from file): Heritage Expeditions