ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM  TONGATAPU TO VAVA’U

The United Nations calls it World Oceans Day.

Emily Penn, the Founder of eXXpedition, encourages us to call it World Ocean Day.

Ocean. Singular.

Video credit: Pallavi Davé

During our on board safety briefing, we were learning how to send distress calls in case of emergency.

One of my fellow guest crew asked, “What happens if the person receiving the call doesn’t understand English?”

Our skipper told us that there is 1 standard set of phrases understood by mariners all over the world so wherever you are, they will understand you need help.

Because despite being separated by name: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian etc., all the water flows across the Earth’s Ocean as one large singular body of water.

Surrounding us all and affecting us all.

And for us all to look after.

Happy World Ocean Day

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ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM  TONGATAPU TO VAVA’U

After a beautiful sunrise on the go, we completed three rounds of trawling to collect water samples from the ocean. Based on our first impression, we found far more natural material than plastic, which was a promising finding that would later be confirmed under the microscope.

Shortly afterward, we reached the island group of Ha‘apai and made our way to Pangai. We split into three groups to cover different areas of the island: port transects, coastal transects, litter transects along the way, and store surveys (at the few stores we found that were open).

Our group of four focused on five litter transects on the way to the beach, giving us the opportunity to observe the more residential areas of Pangai. What really stood out was the presence of household bins at nearly every home, while there were no public bins (except in the port area). We actually found quite a lot of plastic along the roads, some of which may have been blown out of household bins.

On a small road leading to the beach, we found many different types of waste: cans, clothing, utensils, shoes, and various plastic items. The entire route to the beach was lined with litter, yet again without any bins in sight. We thought it might be an area where waste is dumped, as the road did not seem to be used very often.

Photo credit: Rike Blomer

On the beach itself, both the water and the sand appeared quite clean, with only a few fragments that we recorded. In contrast, the upper part of the beach, with its vegetation and trees, contained a considerable amount of waste. Therefore, we assume that much of this waste has not yet made its way into the ocean, making it especially important to address the issue now and prevent it from entering the marine environment.

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ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM  TONGATAPU TO VAVA’U

We were all feeling pretty sorry for ourselves.

It started out well.

We left Nuku’alofa in very good spirits, excited for our first overnight sail.

The ocean was looking vast and beautiful and the weather report was good.

It was going to be a good night on the water.

And technically it was in sea and weather terms.

But less so for most of us in the crew.

The guest crew that is, not the professional crew. (They’re called professional for a reason.)

One by one we started dropping like flies.

One person emerged from the cabin.

“Don’t go down there,” they said “it’s really hot, you’ll feel sick.”

But what is one to do when one needs to use the facilities?

One must go down into the cabin.

And it’s amazing how quickly it hits you.

The heat.

The sudden sheen of sweat all over your body.

The queasy motion sickness.

And then it doesn’t go away. Even when you’re back on deck in the fresh air.

I was feeling even more sorry for our poor skipper who had to help me in my seasickened vomiting state (sorry again and thank you again <3 )

Her top tip was to lie down and get horizontal as soon as possible.

It worked. The queasiness subsided quickly and remained that way as long as I remained horizontal.

Technically this was nothing.

We were sailing on a relatively pleasant night in Tonga, not on the stormy crossing from New Zealand endured by the South Pacific II team on the leg before us.

I don’t think any of us would have made it.

When we dropped anchor on the beautiful uninhabited island of Kelefesia, we were jubilant.

Land ahoy.

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ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM  TONGATAPU TO VAVA’U

After a welcome coffee at the beautiful Waterside restaurant we made our way to the wharf to join SV WindShift. Luggage on board, unpacked, excited conversations and more welcome teas and coffees we had our first briefing. A delicious lunch of chickpea salad and watermelon. Wonderfully refreshing.

Photo credit: Pallavi Davé

The South Pacific III has the fascinating role of researching both plastics in the ocean and on land. Our research kicked off with a litter transact recording details of litter (all types) within a randomly selected sample. We had some fun going through some practical training to complement all the pre-voyage online training course.

Photo credit: Amanda Ayliffe

Armed with our debris tracker App, bright green gloves, a measuring rule and paper bags for collecting unidentifiable small fragments, we were now ready for action. The ten of us were also beginning to attract some attention!

We met a lovely nurse from New Zealand who has spent a week training local doctors and nurses, she had met one of our crew earlier and was thrilled to know we were part of her mission. She was very enthusiastic about our research work and excitedly described how we were becoming quite famous locally, even the taxi driver knew all about us. It was lovely to hear how she is following eXXpedition exploring how her son might do similar research work with his school back home in NZ.

Photo credit: Amanda Ayliffe

Whilst the amount of plastic packaging in the local convenience stores was shocking, we had encouraging moments too. This included a lovely warm welcome from a food vendor, they looked at us a little quizzically – especially at our bright green gloves again! However, a few smiles and chat about what we were doing, and why, was met with enthusiastic story telling from the store team. They explained how the local churches were running community clean up events every month in allocated areas. This had become quite competitive! We learnt that the collected plastic waste is then crushed and used as a filler material in road construction.

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ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM  TONGATAPU TO VAVA’U

Second day with eXXpedition Tonga crew and the first day on the beach. We spilt into two groups. One team went to the East side of Tongatapu and the other team went to the West side. We need to confirm with the data, but we suspect we will see differences in the amount and kind of plastic pollution between the two sites. This is due to the wind direction and position of Tongatapu. The East side of the island gets the prevailing winds, and with this wind comes more plastic from offshore.

To collect data, we use an app called Debris Tracker (you can download the app here). The science team at the University of Georgia has preset the sampling sites for us, so we know exactly where to survey. Once we arrive, we measure out the transect sampling area and transects. We sample five transects that are ten meter long and five meters wide. The data we collect is uploaded to the science team through the Debris Tracker app, allowing them to then analyse data from all the eXXpedition locations.

Beach survey at East Coast of Tonga Anahulu Caves beach

Video credit: Pallavi Davé

WEST SIDE TEAM

We have some initial observations from our trip to the west while we await the data analysis. Here, plastic was hidden in the mangroves, likely getting trapped in the roots system. Mangroves are natural filters for marine ecosystems, mitigating coastal erosion and the effects of freshwater runoff. Unfortunately, it looks like plastic also gets caught up in the mangrove filtering system.

The plastic on the beach looked older, for example, faded from the sun and broken into smaller pieces, than the plastic closer to land.

After we finished the beach transects, we completed land-based sampling in a local village. We didn’t find as much plastic and our taxi driver let us know that in this village, people clean the street in front of their house daily.

EAST SIDE TEAM

Our first stop was Anahula beach where we noticed the plastic was further up above the hightide line. As with the West, tangled in the plants above the high tide line was a mixture of plastics: fragments, picnic items, flipflops, cups, bottles. Anahula beach is only about 100 meters, which is the length of our transect. It was difficult to tell which plastic pollution may have come from offshore or the land. Later, we will analyse collected samples with the FTIR to shed some light on what types of plastic we found and for how long the plastic had been in the environment.

Next stop was outside a local landfill where we were attacked by mosquitos. Our surveys were parallel to the landfill. Along one transect, was a bright, pink-patterned large piece of fabric. As we walked the transect, we noticed that pieces of this fabric had broken off and migrated away from the main piece. This bright pink fabric mirrors what happens with plastic in the Ocean. With time, it breaks down, moves around, and shows up elsewhere.

Why not try data collection in your neighbourhood? It’s free to use and easy to understand. Download it here.

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ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM  TONGATAPU TO VAVA’U

After settling in on the boat we went out to do our first science of the trip.

Today we were working in land in Nuku’alofa.

We were split into 3 survey groups: for convenience stores, grocery stores and food vendors. We are trying to understand what packaging these stores and vendors use, to link it back to the pollution we might find in the ocean, beaches and other places on the islands.

After surveying a few food vendors, we came across a special vendor called Weta Coffee Tonga.

Photo credit: Karlijn Sibbel 

Mitna who manages this store was very aware of the challenges with plastic pollution and single-use plastic packaging in particular, and has been making a concerted effort to transition to alternative solutions. She now sells their delicious baked goods (our personal favourite was the chunky chocolate chip cookie) in paper bags and uncoated cardboard trays, and provides paper straws for cold drinks served in bioplastic cups made from PLA. She noted that her paper coffee cups still contain traditional plastic on the inside, something she hasn’t yet found an alternative for.

Photo credit: Karlijn Sibbel 

She told us that sourcing these alternative solutions is a humongous task and more expensive than sourcing the widely available traditional plastic cups. These alternatives are not sold on the island so she has to import them herself from New Zealand and when we spoke to her, she had been waiting for a delayed delivery for 2 months.

Photo credit: Karlijn Sibbel 

Although there are no industrial composting facilities on the island that will compost the PLA cold cups (bioplastic) – which needs special elevated temperatures to break down – she is still making the most effort she can to move away from fossil based plastics. Determined to make a difference.

It was very interesting and inspiring to learn about her experiences and her passion for tackling plastic pollution in Tonga.

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ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM BAY OF ISLANDS TO TONGATAPU

Today we gathered with several members of the Tongan government and local high school students to present our mission for eXXpedition.

We held the audience captive with our detailed overview of our voyage from New Zealand, our purpose and plastic-free solutions they could implement. We had wonderful discussions about different solutions to the plastic crisis in Tonga and how they could best empower themselves.

We greatly enjoyed speaking with the local high school students, who were eager to learn about the expedition. It was empowering afternoon for all, with ideas shared and friendships made!

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ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM BAY OF ISLANDS TO TONGATAPU

It was movie night at Minerva Reef and after a late dinner I was able to keep the tired crew awake enough with a community screening 1 hour cut of the movie Plastic Detox. (Full cut available to watch on Netflix)

Watching the young couples on screen struggle with their health and fertility and learning about the countless unregulated chemicals found in plastic that we are exposed to daily was an eye opening experience. Although the film focused on the typical overpackaged and processed US diet, cleaning products, cosmetic and healthcare products, and microplastic exposure from common kitchen ware, the message was universal to our international crew of women.

Some of the staggering statistics shared in the movie stood out and were discussed amongst our crew:

•⁠ ⁠There are over ~70,000 chemicals used in everyday products that lack significant analysis for toxicity.
•⁠ ⁠The link between endocrine/hormone disrupting chemicals found in a study on select hair care products found that the earlier age a women started using hair care products the earlier age they have their period. With 15% of girls now begin puberty by age 7 with an increase risk to breast and uterine cancer due to the increased exposure to the hormone estrogen. (Jasmin A. McDonald, PhD)
•⁠ ⁠The disproportionate exposures to women of color not only by the hair products used but the continued exposures in the front line and fence line communities of petrochemical plants, also known as “cancer alley” (Sharon Levine, Founder, Rise St. James and Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr)
•⁠ ⁠“If a pregnant woman is exposed to a toxic chemical she is exposing the reproductive organs of three generations.” – Philip Landrigan, MD, Director, Global Health, Boston College
•⁠ ⁠There are only 9 chemicals banned in personal care products in the US, with over 1,100 in the EU!

Great questions were asked and personal stories shared about health, fertility and how toxic chemicals and plastic pollution are regulated and “managed” across our diverse communities from Oman, to the UK to Norway…

It became apparent that our own boat was in need of an upgrade in kitchen utensils, pots and pans and plastic “glassware.” I noticed a few of the crew switching to their ceramic coffee cups to have their morning cereal.

Many asked where they can find information on alternatives to plastic and I was so pleased to share Plastic Pollution Coalition’s plastic free living guides and website for more information.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to watch the movie on Netflix with family and friends. There are many other ways you can make a difference, including:

• Hosting a screening in your community
• Learn more about what your household products and build environment are made of
• Support more regulatory restrictions on the chemicals used
• Support legislation to reduce the rampant production of plastic pollution

Plastic is pollution by design, contaminating our recycling system, environment and bodies. It’s stories like Plastic Detox that help start the conversations needed to drive change.

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ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM BAY OF ISLANDS TO TONGATAPU

There isn’t any way to truly describe the magic that is Minerva. A crescent shaped safe-haven amidst the miles of unrelenting ocean. She is otherworldly, like water rushing across the surface of Mars, leaving us awestruck by her immense beauty and the stories she must hold. As though the history of the ocean and those who came before us could be simply breathed in through the air around us. And as the waves crashed on her outer edge, I was reminded of all the balance necessary for a world like ours to exist. The ocean is beautiful and calm, violent and scary. A place of solace and cleansing and connection, but also a place of challenge and patience and perseverance. Mostly it’s a place of life – the canary in the coal mine giving us the pulse of this one sweet earth.

And even here on Minerva, hundreds of miles from civilization, we find evidence of human impact.

Photo credit: Ellen Reynolds

When we find ourselves endangering everything from the microscopic surface life to the creatures of the deepest seas, I question how good we are for this planet – how happy she might be to heal from all we’ve done. I like to imagine a future where we understand that we exist as part of an ecosystem, and not in spite of it. That our lands are not only ours to claim, but they belong to the spiders and bees and squirrels equally. That our oceans are not here to be conquered, but here to be seen and loved and honoured.

A future where we align ourselves with an understanding that all the world has to give is not inherently ours to take.

Mindful musical mantra: It’s Ok by Nightbirde

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ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM BAY OF ISLANDS TO TONGATAPU

After nearly a week of at sea with a lot of rain, sea sickness, high waves and to be honest, not feeling great, we made it to the beautiful Minerva Reef in the middle of the South Pacific.

Suddenly the sun came out and the water looked turquoise and not black anymore. We could continue with our research, once again getting our manta trawl into the water, followed by jumping into the Pacific at sunset ourselves, celebrating the crew effort of getting here. 

The night was the first night nobody had to be on watch, which felt great. After trying to sleep through such rough conditions, this time we were actually just being gently rocked to sleep. 

Our skipper Maisie cooked us a fantastic stir fry with loads of veggies so we could get our vitamins in. The next morning we did some laundry (life at sea feels better with some fresh clothes) and our warrior, Bonita, treated us to pancakes and fantastic overnight oats.

Natascha led a mindful circle, making sure we breathed deeply and also shook our booties and relieved the stress that had built up in our bodies, making sure we didn’t forget to connect deeply with ourselves and with each other. 

As music connects across borders, we will now share a song with you in each blog post so you can feel closer to us.

The song of the day from our pirate radio station: Natasha Bedingfield: Unwritten 

Sending you a little sea breeze to wherever you are. 

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