The Princess, the crew and, Amelia Earhart

Fiji Princess

The Fiji Princess, which I sailed on last month, is about to be part of one of the greatest mysteries of all time. With sixty guests on board, plus the crew, the catamaran becomes part of the “Voyage in Search of Amelia Earhart“.

Earhart,(1897-1937) was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and was an early supporter of the USA  Equal Rights Amendment.

During her attempt to circumnavigate the world in 1937 she disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean and fascination with her life, career and disappearance continues to this day.

Talking with some of the crew about their upcoming voyage to Tahiti it was obvious they had not realised the historic significance of being involved in the possible finding of her plane.

The Captain told me he would be on board for the thousand-mile journey but would not be in charge as the open, international waters require higher qualifications than he has.

Capt on the bridge

One day, deciding not to go snorkeling on one trip out from the boat, especially as manta-ray had not appeared  I sat in the little boat and chatted with two of the crew as they followed the snorkelers while they explored a reef.

Imagine being part of history I enthused, fancy being able to tell your grandchildren “I was there when they found Amelia Earhart’s plane.”

We also talked rugby and dreams of the future. Jona tells me he comes from the last island in the Fiji chain of islands and its nickname is ‘little New Zealand’ as it’s the closest to NZ. He also tells me he supports the NSW Waratahs as he has a cousin in the team.

Both men were thrilled with the Fiji Sevens having beaten NZ a few days earlier, the Chiefs and Highlanders were their favourite NZ teams and both admire Richie McCaw. 

 

He other young man, Colin, had been a carpenter before joining the Princess some three years earlier, and was studying to further his career: dreams of being the Captain of an even bigger vessel than the Princes is in his future.

Another topic I bought up was my concern about bread being fed to fish at Nanuya Lailai Island, that bread is not good for the fish. I suggested that they (i.e. the company buy) have fish food for them.

Although ,as Dan, a marine biologist who came on board to talk about corals and the local reefs, said ‘I’ve bought this up often but nothing has changed – however, I’d rather them feed the fish than kill them.”

Back to Amelia and the Princess, this month (June 2015) a research vessel will investigate the area with a remotely operated vehicle, while divers will search the surrounding reef for other possible bits of wreckage and other researchers will scour the island for remains of a possible campsite.

I hope the crew of the Fiji Princess will be able to tell their grandchildren ‘I was there’.

NOTE: For more information about the research project see here and here

Swimming with dolphins: Northland, New Zealand

The chance to go swimming with dolphins is a great opportunity and here in NZ’s warmest waters it seems the perfect spot to do so. I’m going out on the Dolphin Eco-Experience in the Bay of Islands: well-named by Capt. Cook with its 140+ islands.

Once on board we learn the crew, including one called “Floppy’ have years of experience finding dolphins here and have lots of knowledge about their behaviour. Today we’re looking for bottlenose and common dolphins, baleen whales, orca, seals, fish, penguins and birds from the purpose-built vessel.

The day is overcast and with grey sky and grey sea, I’ve now decided I won’t be getting in the water and will view what we find from the boat – warm the water may be, but I like bath warm!  Of course, all over New Zealand, swimming with dolphins in the wild is subject to the NZ Department of Conservations’ rules and regulations, and the skipper’s discretion. In particular it’s not possible to swim with mothers and babies as they need to drink from their mother almost constantly.

We leave the Paihia wharf, pick up another couple from Russell, and are soon off on what seems to be a tiki-tour: this is New Zealand slang for –
1. a sight-seeing journey with no particular destination in mind.
2. taking the long way to a destination.
3. or, to wander aimlessly

Of, course we are not wandering aimlessly but cruising in and out of bays and around or past islands looking for the elusive dolphin. It seems it’s unusual to be travelling so far without seeing some of the 400 identifiable bottlenose dolphins that live between Tauranga and Cape Reinga. However, the gannets are lovely and so is the scenery despite the lumpy water and cloudy skies.

Suddenly their non-appearance is clear.

Word comes from one of the bigger boats heading for the Hole in the Rock – they have come across a pod of orca! No wonder the dolphins are hiding – their genes have not caught up with the fact that here in New Zealand the orca – also called the ‘killer whale’ in some parts of the world – do not eat dolphins but much prefer the apparently tasty stingrays!

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Aaron, the driver (or is he called the captain?) speeds up and heads for Deepwater Cove in the hope we too can see the orca. We can and do!

I have no problem not seeing the dolphins – the orcas are wonderful! A mother and baby is with them and it’s now I again wish I had a bigger and better camera – and more skills with the one I have! I also selfishly wish I was on the boat with no other travellers so I could get better views.

After watching and following the orcas (who are part of the dolphin family not whales) we head back towards Paihia, but first we stop at Otehei Bay, on pest-free Urupukapuka Island, for a coffee and toilet break. Incidentally this is where the American author and deep-sea fisher Zane Grey, lived and wrote about this area. (The Anglers Eldorado 1926)

For information about conservation on the islands in the Bay of Islands see Project Island Song