Going ashore early in the morning at Panapompom island, we were greeted by a “warrior threat” welcome that was a perfect start to our day. We then enjoyed a group dance that involved an entertaining story with an eel; the locals seemed to find it especially humorous. Wandering around the village, it was great to interact with the people in this remote and fairly traditional village. Still using sailing boats (no motors) as the main means of transportation has greatly influenced their lives.
Later in the morning, we repositioned across to tiny Nivani Island. Some of us took the “normal” means of Zodiac, while others joined the local sailing canoes for a more “traditional” way across. What an incredible way to travel, in boats that have probably little changed in thousands of years. We mainly came to Nivani Island for two reasons, lunch and a relic from World War II. Our hotel team created a delicious and diverse spread and certainly satisfied us! From there, it was time to hit the water.
Our main goal for snorkeling, or going in the glass-bottom Zodiac, was to see a Japanese Zero fighter plane that ditched here in World War II. In May 1942, United States warplanes sank the carrier that this Zero came from, so it had no other choice but to ditch in this beautiful and sheltered spot. What luck for us! To be able to see a mostly intact WWII airplane in less than ten feet of water was a real treat. In addition, huge numbers of anemones have taken over the plane, and where there are anemones, there must be anemonefish! Three different species of anemone fish, including the true clownfish, swarmed the fuselage of the plane and made a great thing even better.
