Seacology Expedition Visits Fiji
In March 2001, 14 people took part in an expedition to visit Seacology projects in Fiji. The group was joined by Doug McConnell and the crew of the popular San Francisco television show Bay Area Backroads, who were filming a program on Seacology's successful Fiji projects.
While in Fiji the group chartered a seaplane to visit Waisomo Village on Ono Island. There, in return for the village's decision to establish a no-fishing zone on their ancestral reef to allow marine life to be replenished, Seacology provided the village with a boat to patrol the marine reserve and the materials to build a much-needed community center. Waisomo villagers honored the Seacology expedition members with a traditional kava ceremony (drink made from a mild narcotic from the root of a pepper plant), a meke (singing and dancing) and a feast of locally provided foods. The Seacology team was also presented with a tabua, the tooth of a sperm whale - the highest and most important honor bestowed in Fiji. To cap off the celebration, members of the Seacology expedition poured cement to begin laying the foundation for the new community center.
The Seacology group also visited the very remote village of Nadogo on Vanua Levu Island. In Nadogo, Seacology is providing the funding to upgrade the only access road to the village so that villagers will not be cut off from the rest of the world in times of bad weather and so that medical care will be more accessible. In exchange Nadogo is giving permanent protection to a pristine 2,000-acre rainforest. The visit was a truly historic occasion, as the Seacology team was the first group of outsiders ever to visit Nadogo. After crossing a swiftly running river and hiking two hours over steep terrain, the group arrived at the village. It was the biggest gathering in the history of the village, with members of the Nadogo clans pulling out all the stops to honor the Seacology team. They performed a kava ceremony, tabua presentation and meke, and provided a feast. Many members of the Seacology group danced with the villagers and village children performed a special song to honor Seacology.
In the words of Seacology Board member Michael Staffieri, "We entered Waisomo and Nadogo villages with the anticipation that our gift will enhance their lives for generations to come, and left with the realization that their hospitality and sacrifice have changed our lives forever."
While in Fiji the group stayed at the Jean Michel Cousteau Fiji Island Resort, one of the world's leading eco-resorts. The group heard nightly lectures by marine biologists Richard Murphy and Holly Loheis and went on guided hikes through the rainforest. Several members of the Seacology team went diving or snorkeling to view Fiji's incredibly diverse marine life. "There are no words to describe the experiences my children and I had at this resort," said Seacology expedition member Claudia Brown. "Every minute was filled with fun and learning. Our visit to Fiji will be with us always. We look forward to returning to the Jean Michel Cousteau Fiji Resort with Seacology."
