Ponant Kimberley Cruise - Day 12 - Lacepede Islands

SATURDAY 4 MAY – Day 12

This region is the most important breeding area in WA for the Green Turtle, and is documented as an IBA – Important Bird Area. The breeding colony of Brown Boobies is possibly the largest in the world, and up to 20,000 Roseate Terns have also been recorded here. There is a chance to see Pelicans, masked boobies, frigatebirds, egrets, gulls, noddies and oystercatchers. Due to the sensitive nature of the environment, landings are prohibited on the Lacepede Islands

We had to be up early today for a 7am zodiac to the lslands to hopefully spot Green Sea Turtles and various types of birds, however the weather gods did not play well with us today…. The winds were up to 30 knot and the seas rough – the expedition team advised the captain that it was not safe to go out, so off to find a Plan B. They came back from their scout freezing cold, and soaking wet with water dropping off them literally as they reported to the Captain. Steve went to shower and while he did that, I went to the gym for a 20m cardio stint followed by an 8am stretch with Ilaria. Then we headed up for breakfast (yep – more food) and by 9am we were up on deck with Zander (had a really interesting chat about his previous life before cruise as a software programmer), Kyle and Zach bird spotting – we saw heaps of the Brown Boobies, a few gulls and a male frigate bird. The Boobies used to come in and land on the fishing boats in the old days, and the Spanish fishermen would kill and eat them – they thought the birds were stupid for this behaviour so called them “bobo” which is where they got their name from.

We sailed away from the area as planned and of course as the day went on the winds dropped and we are again sailing on waters as smooth as silk.

The crew quickly added a few new items to the daily planner to keep us all occupied including a didgeridoo lecture by Arnaud (we skipped as we did his class the other day) and a stretch class.

Then the day carried on as planned as we sailed away. At 11am there was a briefing on disembarkation procedures in Broome (no taxis allowed into the port so private transfers are a must – and Ponant include these in your fare – simplest is if you are leaving same day, they take you to Mangrove Resort for a day use room and then take you to the airport later. If you have a morning flight they take you to the airport. If you are staying in town, they have a bus to the CBD hotels and also a bus to the Cable Beach properties). We have to have bags out by 6am with the coloured label on them that we have been given depending where we are going. We have to be out of rooms and finished breakfast by 8am and the transfers start at 7.45am onwards.

We collected our passports back today from reception, and also Ilaria gave us a great tip for tomorrow – when you plan the outfit you want to wear for disembarkation, put one shoe in the safe – that way when you get dressed you have no choice but to open the safe to get your shoe, hence not forgetting your jewels and other valuables, and leaving the door open for the next passenger on board.

Also, there was a raffle raising money for crew welfare drawn…. A navigational map of our journey signed by Captain and Crew was the prize.

We then headed back to the room and packed most of the suitcases. Will pack the rest tonight after we are changed and ready for bed, just leaving out clothes and toiletries for the morning, popping our cases out before we sleep.

Steve and I had spa services booked for this afternoon – he had a massage which he said was perfect – hit the spot and just what he wanted for an hour. I booked a pedicure (exfoliate, scrub, moisturise) and asked for new nail polish and my toenails to be done (just in case that was not a normal inclusion). The language barrier meant I got my nails done with a quick moisturize and then got charged extra for the new coat of polish as that is not normally included ….. weirdest pedicure I have ever had. Anyhow I mentioned it to the staff and got all the apologies, they offered to add in the extra services of the scrub and exfoliate, but I am now out of time for the afternoon. At least the offer was made. I had made the booking over the phone, not in person, and I should have checked before we started. Anyhow, the hiccup was dealt with well and a solution offered - and that's always a good thing.

Jess gave a good talk at 4pm today on the pearling industry development today and it was really cool to see a map she put up of all the Indigenous Countries that we have passed through, its an amazing variety of country, culture and language that all is classified as “indigenous”.

Pearl shells were used to express dreamtime and ancestral stories – another canvas in addition to rock art etc…

Arlingung is the serpent like being responsible for rain and he comes out on the full tide full moon and his shells fall off into the sea and become pearl shell – this is how the supply of pearl shells stays constant with the monthly cycles of the moon and tides.  There are many names of different pearl types depending if the pearl is plain decorated with carvings and then if the ridges are coloured with ochre or not. They are seen as powerful and ritualistic objects. The pearl shell headpieces are called Binji Binji and they tinkle like keys as the men dance – the sound is said to make women cry with pride and wearing the BB is said to improve your physical well being and is a sign of you growing up getting ready to be married.

Pearl shells are seen as manifestations of power of the ancestral beings. They have the power to bring rain, attract women, heal the sick and determine if you are guilty of a crime.

Pearls from the ocean are genus Pinctada.

Pearls are a type of aragonite (Calcium carbonate family) layers and the layers and curves refract light and give it a nice lustre. Man made pearls are seeded with a fragment of mussel shell put inot the oyster. He cuts a hole into the gonad of the oyster and implant the fragment. They take 2 years to mature the oyster to be ready, then 2 years in the oyster to grow the pearl. The oysters flush out all the sand that enters their mantle, and they coat other foreign objects to become pearls, almost like an immune response to a foreign object.

Pinctada Maxima is the biggest pearl oyster and commonly called “south sea pearls”. Pinctada Margaritifera produces the black pearl, also called the Tahitian Pearl but more common in Pilbarra. P Imbricata Futata is the pink pearl and these are often farmed close to Sydney in the Hawkesbury River. They are smaller so less commonly commercially harvested. P Albina makes a smaller yellow coloured pearl that is not so popular.

Pearl shell was a currency and was traded (like ochre) across the country. The meaning of the shells and their carving/decoration changed as the shells travelled and were passed on.

Pearl shell trade has been important currency for at least 22,000 years. The pearl shell industry in WA began a bit like a gold rush – men who were doing it tough saw a get rich quick opportunity starting in 1850 in Shark Bay. It was not uncommon at the start of the era to pull in 3000 shell pairs in a day. Within 40 years the original site of the discovery had been dredged and bled dry of all shells as there was of course no control on how much anyone could take.

By 1866 things got nasty as word spread and many many people came to the region. Indigenous folk would trade labour harvesting pearls for food and other commodities. By 1868 stocks in the newer farmed regions were again depleting in the tidal zones, so they went deeper into waist deep and then further into diving zones to access the pearl shells. At this point the whites violently coerced the indigenous to deep dive for the pearl shell (and think about what is in the waters up here!) But the locals were saltwater people, so had good eyes and were strong swimmers so perfect for the job. For as long as 1910 and beyond the locals were literally chained to each other and forced to work for the pearling masters. They were treated brutally as the locals worked out what was happening and left.  The pearl masters would then source indigenous folk from other countries (who may have never have even see water) to force them to work. This is called black-birding – sourcing black labour as forced slavery to harvest the pearls. 1865 saw the abolishment of slavery in the USA. In Australia the bigger towns bypassed this phase, but out here in the Kimberley the rules did not apply – there was no structure of law and order.

The divers had to deal with all conditions including rough and murky waters where there was no visibility – they had to all collect 10-25 pearly oysters / day and this meant days of 10 hours or more in he water, not being allowed out. Not being allowed a break. The pearling masters would often hit their hands if they tried to hang onto the boat and take a break throughout the day.

Lacepede Islands was a place that was used as a hideaway where abducted indigenous were dumped and pearling luggers collected them and no one knew about it. There is a story about a local who decided he did not want a part of it and he tried to swim the 30km back to land and he survived a shark attack, but did it. As he arrived ashore his family thought he was a ghost as they were so used to the men abducted for pearling never coming home.

Women were not safe - they were used as prostitutes for the pearling masters as well as for divers if they were deemed good swimmers. Many women were forcibly impregnated as being pregnant made you a better diver.

“And precious the tear as that rain from the sky, which turns into pearls as it fall in the sea”

Changes to the pearling act meant men worked to contract, including being returned to country at the end of contract, and women were forbidden to be involved. But this was overseen by 1 corrupt fisheries inspector and the JP who witnessed contact signatures was also corrupt, so problem not solved. In these times (1871) indigenous folk were not classified as Australian citizens even.

As time went on workers from other countries arrived, and the Japanese were renowned as great divers and took over with better efficiency of finding the pearl shell oysters. Hard Hat diving also was beginning. Many divers got the bends as the equipment was not fabulous.

Human indigenous bones with trauma etched all over them made their way all around the world to museums, but the process to bring them home was instigated with difficulty in their ID however lots of hints were there to determine they were pearl divers (cracked skulls, ear inflammation evidence, malnutrition, dating the age of the bones) – in 2019 a museum in Berlin returned all their indigenous bones home to Broome and neighbouring countries.

Pearling NOW is a very sustainable industry as they are all ethically farmed and the shells are actually very good at filtering toxins and other nasties out of the water. No need to feel guilty buying them, but geez it was a thought-provoking talk on yet another example of the disgusting way white settlers have treated our native inhabitants. Heartbreaking would be an accurate description.

Funny story of the day – we saw a lady getting help from the staff setting up her phone with Wi-Fi for a Teams Video meeting… her grandson was getting married today in Australia. She was here, and two of the groom’s brothers are in the army so were tuning in from Saudi Arabia and Hawaii to all watch together the live stream of the wedding – so it was about 7am and she was sitting all set up in front of her screen with champagne in hand to “join in”. Bless.

TOP TIP FOR THE DAY

After various discussions with crew the advice on Ponant is….. Kimberley Expedition cruising is very dominated by the AU/NZ market with a sprinkle of other nationalities. The demographic on board our cruise is casual, friendly, well-travelled, not snobby and we have enjoyed the mix of people. This is typical of cruises in this region with a wide age range, more younger ones than you may think, especially travelling in groups/family groups. Ponant in Europe is a little different as there are more Europeans on board – which can change the vibe a little, from a language point of view if nothing else. So, pick and choose the right trip for you, but sail the Kimberley with confidence. Dress up nights people do dress up, but minority were in tie/tux/suit – all had trousers and a nice collar shirt. No ball gowns or formal garb – all cocktail and nice dresses and a few ladies even went the smart pant-suit for the special nights. Nothing over the top, and my super casual hubby was at ease in his chino trousers (dress pants on Gala Nights – the first and last) and collared shirt without a tie.

The last night on board is always a bit special, so it was cocktails on the Pool Deck from 6pm (just after sunset) when we once again had the Captain out with us, introducing us to all the crew – even the ones who worked “in the shadows” as he put it – laundry staff, deck hands, engineers, the room service steward (we never met LOL) and EVERYONE got an acknowledgement for their work. There was a presentation for Employee of the Month, and then it was time to head up to the restaurant for the final Gala Dinner. We had a lovely time though with Greg and Tabatha, Pinky and Mike. As usual dessert was excellent and the staff faultless in their service. We did head downstairs after dinner to attempt a bit of a party, but after a quick chat with Tom and Fran (expedition team) we hit the wall and headed to bed early (again!)

Time to finish packing, and put the bags outside our door. They are tagged for an 8.15am shuttle bus in the morning and will go from the corridor by 6am. All that is in the room now are clothes for tomorrow and limited toiletries which we can take as carry on for the flight home.

 

Todays photo is one of mine - you cannot beat a sunset at sea!

By Sarah Fenton

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