Scuba divers' heartwarming meeting with people from traditional village

The FeBrina liveaboard dive boat is a luxury vessel that takes scuba diving enthusiasts out on the ocean around Papua New Guinea to experience some of the most beautiful and adventurous diving on the planet. These guests have came from all over the world to experience world class dive sites filled with breath taking coral and magnificent sea animals.Show more

But guests aboard the boat were in for a very unexpected treat when they returned from a dive to find that the boat had been met by four canoes full of women and children from the village on a remote island. These families live an extremely traditional life in an isolated part of the world. They don't have hydro or much access to internet on these remote islands. It's a beautiful way of life, but it's a difficult struggle. Their access to schools, health care, and many of the things we take for granted in North America, is very limited. When the FeBrina anchored a few miles from their shore, they paddled their dugout canoes out to greet the boat and offer gifts. This is a common occurrence for the crew of the FeBrina and the fresh vegetables and coconuts that the families brought were a very welcome sight. In exchange, the crew offered rice, cooking supplies, and other necessities. They also had a much more important gift. The FeBrina crew quietly fundraise and purchase much needed school books and other items to help this village. They loaded up their small boat to take the gifts to the village.

Divers who had just surfaced did not expect any of this.They poked their heads out of the water to be greeted by curious looks and smiling faces of the children in the canoes as well as their mothers. From different worlds and different cultures, the two groups of people soon found that smiles and laughter are universal. Kristy was soon speaking with a few of the mothers and they offered her a very strange, but delicious seaweed that is a staple part of their diet. With a texture like coleslaw and a spicy kick like salted wasabi, this was a wonderful experience for her and her husband, Dave. Kristy offered a bag of Werther's candies and they were soon passed around and shared by all. Dave sampled some very fresh coconut along with the seaweed.

Dave got his iPhone and began showing the kids the camera and they took turns mugging and laughing. As it turns out, they were very familiar with selfies and the usual hand gestures and poses that go along with them. Having a look at their own pictures is always a fun experience for kids of this age.

This meeting at sea was one of the highlights of the entire tour for this Canadian couple. The wonderful gifts that the families brought by paddling such a long way were a real treat. This exchange proves beyond a doubt that friendliness is universal. We have more in common with people from different worlds than we might think.

Dave and Kristy were also touched to see the quiet and modest way in which the FeBrina crew and Walindi Lodge from which they are based, would help this wonderful village.