I get up at 3:15 am, pack, get ready, but don't actually get picked up at the guesthouse until about 5ish. We finally leave by boat at 6:00 am, apparently the sea is most "peaceful" during the early morning hours. Just before we depart I call Wendy on her mobile phone in Bolivia to let her know that for the next few days I'll have neither internet nor phone nor any other means of connectivity. Being more than 80 kilometres in the open sea northwest of Bougainville, the Carteret Islands are prohibitively challenging to reach.
While I talk to Wendy I marvel how modern connectivity has made it possible to bridge the gap from one developing country to another -- we understand each other reasonably well today, another reminder of the very high development value of "connectivity".
Travelling to the Carteret Atoll we get absolutely sprayed. I had absolutely NO idea I would be getting a constant shower for more than 3 hours of travelling through the waves. After a couple of hours on the way I feel my ears to scrape out what feels like sand -- only to discover that the "kernels" of sand are actually solid salt. I am soaking wet! I might as well not have worn my only long pair of pants which have streaks of white from the salt all over, but then again, the sun is really powerful as well and I'm glad I covered up.
We reach the Carterets at 10 am. After some time of sitting and resting under the shade of some coconut trees I do my first interview with Pauline. Afterwards I circle the island on foot with her husband Kingsford -- everywhere are signs of erosion and evidence of sea level rise.
Coconut trees being gradually eroded away by the daily tidal energy. All over the island signs of sea level rise are blatant.
Coconut and smoked fish is the only diet locally available. Fruit trees and vegetable gardens were destroyed in the 2008 King Tides. Islanders interviewed believe the islands will be submerged within 10-15 years.
Then in the late afternoon we circle Han Island by boat, filming. We can make out a number of areas where the sea walls are clearly covered by ocean water, offering nothing more than a reminder of where at some point in the past someone tried to protect an area of land from saltwater intrusion -- and eventually gave up and let the sea come in.
Flooded sea wall made of "gabion baskets", wire-enforced structures that lessen wave energy.
Carteret Atoll, Han Island: Circling the island by boat we pass this coconut tree stump, a reminder just how much bigger the island must have been only a relatively short time ago.
There is no doubt about it: the Carteret Atoll is disappearing under the sea. This coconut tree stump lies about 20 metres from shore. All older islanders have stories to tell of where their land and huts used to be -- now covered by water.
This islander collects rocks from the ocean floor to reinforce "gabion baskets". These structures are wire-enforced sea walls that can reduce some of the ocean's wave energy (albeit, they cannot prevent the sea from spilling over the wall or offering lasting protection . Since there are no more "spare" rocks on the island all hard matter has to be mined from the seabed.
At night I interview the Paramount Chief Stephen. The little head light attached to my forehead with a rubber strap is the only source of light I have to write down my answers. Swarms of insects are buzzing around the lights, forcing me to squint constantly.
Interview with Paramount Chief Stephen, swarms of insects and mosquitoes providing us company. The daily tides provide a perpetual supply of stagnant water in the swamps, creating ideal breeding grounds for malaria carrying mosquitoes. You can't see them on the photos, but they are everywhere by the zillions!!
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