We awoke to a day at sea following a high energy day on the island of Owaraha. Today was filled with presentations to feed our desire to learn something new. We started with Cultural Specialist Shirley Campbell’s presentation on human migrations, including one of the greatest migration endeavours by Austronesian speakers across the South Pacific. Out on deck, white-tailed tropicbirds were observed gracefully navigating the sky. Later, Naturalist Karen Velas presented an introduction to seabirds found in this region of Melanesia. In the afternoon, National Geographic Photographer Jonathan Kingston shared his passion for photography and his journey, supported by grants from National Geographic, to tell stories through the power of images. Over cocktails during evening recap, we had the opportunity to try chewing betel nut. Some of us boasted the telltale red mouth!
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 17 Feb 2024
Day at Sea, 2/17/2024, National Geographic Orion
- Aboard the National Geographic Orion
- French Polynesia & Pacific Islands
Shirley Campbell, Cultural Specialist
Dr Shirley Campbell is a social anthropologist with a special interest in the indigenous peoples of Australia, Melanesia and the Pacific. More than four decades of academic research and university teaching have led to a sound knowledge and understand...
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