Con Dao National Park, Vietnam, 10/5/2023, National Geographic Resolution
Aboard the
National Geographic Resolution
Indonesia & Papua New Guinea
At 0700 this morning our ship National Geographic Resolution arrived at the bay of Con Dao National Park in Vietnam. Our Captain Martin Graser and his bridge team maneuvered this grand ship through numerous fishing boats to arrive near our required landing point for the day.
The Zodiacs were deployed with excited guests, ready to experience their first expedition day in Vietnam. The morning was a visit to the Bao Tang Con Dao prison museum, where guests learned the history of the French colonial era and the “prison period.” It was a very moving and somewhat heavy experience indeed.
In the afternoon, guests were treated to a scenic tour of the island. We rode on local boats to a snorkeling spot where everyone could jump into the refreshing ocean and witness the fanfare of vibrant coral and fishes. Have you ever tried kayaking in a see-through perspex bathtub-looking paddling vessel? Well, some of our guests did just that, paddling over coral reefs and enjoying looking through the bottom of their vessel into the deep blue.
Internationally acclaimed as a traditional master navigator, Tua has navigated canoes across the great oceans of our planet from the coastlines of Asia through to the shores of the Americas for more than 30 years, without the use of modern instrument...
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We woke up this morning as National Geographic Resolution made its way around strange mushroom-shaped limestone rocks sticking up out of the sea, with a drapery of vegetation covering each one. In the morning, we all got in power boats for a beautiful ride between the dark green rock islands and light blue reefs. We docked in a bay and walked over a ridge to the amazing jellyfish lake. This saltwater lake was created by a limestone sinkhole, then filled by seawater seeping in through the limestone cracks. Dozens of bird species flew over the green lake and vegetated cliffs. We went snorkeling in the warm lake to see the thousands of clear moon jellyfish everywhere we looked. However, the brightly colored golden jellyfish stole the show, with their long tentacles colored orange by the algae that live in them. What a lifetime memory! Next, we stopped and pulled the boats up on a sandy beach to have a bento box lunch in the shade of pine trees. Some guests walked along the beach, while others snorkeled off the beach. After lunch, we rode in the speed boats to another bay, where we slipped into the water to enjoy the psychedelic colors of thousands of huge brain corals. We enjoyed a leisurely float around the corals, fish, tunicates, and other brightly colored creatures. The clams growing here were a brilliant dayglow blue color. All around us were high limestone cliffs covered with tropical vegetation. Our last planned stop was a silty green bay, where we went swimming. Most of the guests smeared the fine white mud from the bay all over their bodies, creating a comical situation. Then, they jumped into the water to enjoy a swim without goggles or flippers. Several guests examined the strange cave-like indents at the base of the mushroom-shaped rock islands, and we learned that these six-foot overhangs were eroded by animals! It turns out that invertebrates (chitons and clams) erode the intertidal zone rocks about one inch every decade. On the way back to the ship, we suddenly saw huge manta rays swimming at the surface. So we stopped the boats, put on our snorkel gear, and jumped in the water to see these magnificent creatures up close. As they swam under us, we could see their white jaws and gray bodies, seven feet across. What a fantastic way to end such a memorable day in Palau! Photographers : Joe Holliday, Naturalist, and LaBelle Edmiston, Guest
National Geographic Resolution is currently on a 700 nautical mile transit across the Philippine Sea. The tropical cyclone to the northeast is creating the perfect following seas to help us along on our journey towards Palau. We are making surprisingly swift progress at 15 knots with only two engines in use. A pleasant day at sea was capped off with a moving presentation by Master Navigator Tua Pittman about his adventures sailing all over the world and detailing traditional voyaging and navigation techniques of the Pacific Islanders.
Indonesia! Many of us on board National Geographic Resolution have been eagerly anticipating today, a day filled with water activities on some of the most beautiful reefs in the world. We were not disappointed. Our day was full of some of the best snorkeling to be had in Bunakan Marine Reserve. Stunning coral reefs absolutely covered in fish of every shape and color imaginable greeted us in crystal clear water. While most of us snorkeled the reef, some of us enjoyed the magnificent reefs from the dry comfort of our glass-bottom Zodiac. All on board shared in the thrill of the beauty that this Marine Reserve has to offer. Just before sunset, we went into town to enjoy the hospitality of local Indonesian folks with fresh coconut drinks and amiable conversation. We enjoyed sunset on a beautiful tropical beach as our day drew to a close. Our day wasn’t quite over as the photo team did a photo feedback session of guest images, giving suggestions on how to make images even more interesting!
