We're about 10 million people in a space
bigger than the continent of Africa
And we see ourselves as ocean people ,we see
ourselves as the original explorers.
We had to find our way through these spaces
before all the technology and we see
ourselves in some cases the last of the
indigenous island people on the planet
The acknowledgement and the embracing of
the ocean is very much a part of
everything we do. 
So tell me about your
your recent expedition to the Marquez's
island what was so special about in my
cases the Marquesas?
The Marquesas is stunning in terms of young islands.
They have a very proud history this is a
people very isolated but once upon a
time could have been over a hundred
thousand people.
They've got a canoe culture and they proudly sustained the cultures over the years.
Sven Lindblad: I was invited to join the Hokulea on a Tahiti leg of the voyage during my recent Polynesian
reconnaissance and I got to spend some
time with the President of the
Polynesian Voyaging Society, Nainoa Thompson.
Well, I know the mission of the Hokulea is multifaceted but if you could describe the essence, what would that be?
Nainoa Thompson: Is a voyaging in canoe for
our children it's a source of pride and
dignity for children that need to have
the strength of our culture to build
their self-worth and self-esteem to help
them you have navigate their lives in
the world.
We go to explore this this blue island
called Earth, you can't protect what you don't
understand and you won't if you don't care.
So, we explore, we find new places, we go
and learn, we engage community we build
friendships from strangers and we unite.
The big question of the voyage was "Does
the rest of the planet care? Does it care
about the oceans does it care about caring for the Planet?"
Sven Lindblad: Talking to our Polynesian friends further inspired our desire to explore Polynesia to take a community of
strangers and unite around a mission to
build friendships, experience the vast
richness of Polynesia, to explore see
feel and learn.
It will be an incredible adventure, I
hope you'll join us.
