Samoa Voyaging Society Crew Share Pacific Journey

Samoa Voyaging Society Crew Share Pacific Journey Experiences At Nature Conservation Roundtable Meeting

The Hine Moana with crew from the Samoa Voyaging Society, photo courtesy of Stuart Chape

Crew of the Samoa Voyaging Society made a presentation to the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation this week, sharing their highlights and experiences as Environment Ambassadors while sailing through the Pacific Ocean.

Members of the SVS joined forces with crew from Vanuatu and Tonga to sail the Hine Moana as part of a traditional fleet of va’a that sailed from New Zealand to French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga last month.

Supported by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) assisted by the Coral Reef Initiatives Programme (CRISP), the Samoa Voyaging Society crew shared messages of the importance of Nature Conservation during the many different stops along their voyage.

During their presentation at the thirteenth meeting of the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation in Samoa this week, participants discovered how what these crew members learnt and how they shared strong messages of nature conservation during their voyage.

“We have listened to incredible stories of these environment ambassadors and I guarantee that everyone in the room is proud of what has been achieved,” said Taholo Kami the Chair of the Pacific Islands Roundtable and Director of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Oceania Regional Office.

“It is an incredible thing that young Pacific islands people are given the opportunity to see different cultures in different lands with an emphasis on the importance of our Oceans.”

The crew now plans to share their knowledge with Samoa. With a core crew the Va’a Gaualofa will sail around Samoa visiting different communities and schools as well as train new interested crew members. It is also planned to sail to Tokelau and back to Tonga before a planned Pacific voyage to Hawaii next year.

Having been successful as strong environment ambassadors during their first voyage, the crew is keen to continue sharing messages of the importance of nature conservation.

“Spreading the word for environment was part of the journey as while we’ve been crossing the ocean we have been so enriched by this experience, “shared Captain Marc Gondard.

Captain Marc Gondard and crew present to Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation

“Every day it was so beautiful to be at sea and by sharing our journey people realised how beautiful the ocean is, how beautiful the world is. The crew as messengers who have had this experience of surviving with nature share their words powerfully,”

There were noticeable moments for the crew while depending upon skill and nature to survive at sea. 75 dolphins crossing the bow of the va’a, a whale alone and off its path traveling between the va’a and the sunset, one whole week when the crew were unable to catch any fish, noticing floating garbage and debris in the ocean – all of these and others helped culminate in an incredible learning experience for the crew of the Samoa Voyaging Society.

“Our first voyage was an educational voyage,” said Brynne Eaton-Auvaa, one of the female crew members.

“Now we realise what we can do and how strongly we can share our messages, we now have to accomplish that and our next voyage will be bigger still. We as crew of the Gaualofa will make an excellent tool to convey environment messages.”

ENDS

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