Tiny Island one of the Lusancay Islands

There is a group of tiny Coral atolls near Milne Bay province just off the coast of PNG in the Solomon Sea. The islands are in pristine condition and because they are so small no one lives there. The island we go to is no more than 100 m long and maybe 10 m across. At one end there is a beach with the opportunity to snorkel and swim and the other end are trees where we can see and hear the birds. Birds circle the island. This is the first place we have really seen birds. This is where we spend the morning.

The first challenge is deciding in what order we want to explore this tiny Island. We have the opportunity of taking a walk with the birder and going to the end of the island where the birds are roosting. We also have the opportunity to swim and snorkel. It is of course hot and tropical. If we swim first we will be cool and wet for our walk which is what we decide to do. The snorkeling is quite good and the area is quite extensive, I don't feel hemmed in or forced to avoid other intrepid snorkelers. I don't see many fish I haven't seen before, the coral looks ok. We walk to the end of the island with the naturalist and he talks about the different birds in the region and the symbiotic relationship between the birds and this tiny strip of vegetation. Essentially, the bird droppings fertilize the soil encouraging the plants to grow and the birds take advantage of this as trees give them a place to rest.. Most of the birds we see are black noddies, some brown and terns.

There is an option after lunch to go to another island without a beach and to snorkel entering the water from a zodiac. I have come back to the ship and showered and changed for lunch and my snorkeling gear/clothes are now wet which means it will be very difficult to put on so I elect not to go. I am also concerned about getting in and out of a zodiac for snorkeling. Probably a mistake. Bob does go and said the snorkeling was really good. It was very deep where they were with very deep trenches. I'm sure there will be other opportunities.

We are not much for after dinner entertainment we find what we do during the day is enough. There will be something on but we head to the top deck as usual. It's quiet maybe people just haven't found it yet which suits us.Read more