Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners of the Kimberley region have named Seabourn Pursuit in a ceremony Ngula Jar Island, the first time Traditional Owners have named a ship.

The day-long celebration and naming ceremony had the onboard team lined up along the decks, as guests in Zodiacs alongside the ship were able to immerse themselves in the Aboriginal culture and history throughout the event.

Guests also took part in a Wunambal Gaambera welcome and smoking ceremony, “jimɨrri,” to welcome them to Country and bid them safe travels.

“Our smoking ceremony is done for visitors so that our old people’s spirits won’t follow them,” said Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owner Lillian Karadada.

Afterwards, the “Junba,” a traditional story-telling song and dance, was carried out by Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners, painted in ochre. Guests also visited ancient rock art sites and heard the cultural stories of that area. Artworks by Wunambal Gaambera artists were on display and for sale.

Seabourn and Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners exchanged gifts to celebrate their new relationship. In addition, Seabourn guests Vince and Jane Roig, who have sailed on every Seabourn inaugural voyage on the current seven-ship fleet, presented the Traditional Owners with a symbolic gift of art supplies as a token of appreciation for this new partnership together.

The day culminated with the naming ceremony in Wunambal Gaambera language and English.

The day culminated with the naming ceremony in Wunambal Gaambera language and English, where representatives from the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation wished Seabourn Pursuit an abundance of blessings and extraordinary expeditions to come in Wunambal Gaambera Country.

Seabourn used a specially made bottle crafted from sugar and coated with sand from Ngula, Jar Island, to further celebrate and show respect to the land. Keeping with the time-honored maritime tradition, guests and crew members both on board and on the Zodiacs cheered and celebrated the moment the bottle broke on the bow of the ship.

Seabourn President Natalya Leahy shared her excitement about the special relationship Seabourn has built with the Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners – their country and people – whose rich cultural history, deep connection to the land and sea, and established sustainable tourism initiatives, combine to make them a natural fit to be godparents for Seabourn Pursuit.

“This day marks a very special event with the christening of Seabourn Pursuit, our newest ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ship,” Leahy said.

“This is a wonderful maritime tradition, and today is extra special for us because we asked the Wunambal Gaambera to be the ship’s godparents, which marks the beginning of long sustainable partnership between our brand and this community. We know our guests visit these wonderful places in the world because they believe in the transformative power of travel, and today we celebrate exactly this.

Catherine Goonack, chair, Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation said: “We are honoured to be the godparents of Seabourn Pursuit and share our culture with their crew and guests. It’s good to see our people working on Country and sharing our unique culture in the right way. Living and working on Country is important for us. When we are living and speaking language on Country, we are healthy. Thank you, Seabourn, for your support. Biyanga graa winya – Welcome.”

Also in attendance were Divina D’Anna, MLA, and Parliamentary Secretary to Deputy Premier Hon. Rita Saffioti MLA (Deputy Premier; Treasurer; Minister for Transport; Tourism; Member for West Swan), and Di Bain, the Chair of Tourism Western Australia.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) also congratulated the Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners as they became the godparents of Seabourn Pursuit.

CLIA also congratulates Traditional Owners

CLIA Managing Director in Australasia Joel Katz said the Wunambal Gaambera were among several Traditional Owners in Australia who were working with cruise lines to share culture with visitors while fostering tourism benefits within their communities. Their Country includes the sea country of Ngula Jar Island (Vansittart Bay) and Yirinni (Hunter River), and the freshwater country of Ngauwudu (Mitchell Plateau).

“Australia’s rich Indigenous culture is being celebrated in ways that provide extraordinary experiences for cruise visitors while at the same time creating opportunities for Traditional Owners,” Katz said. “The Wunambal Gaambera partnership is a great example of how cruise tourism can be harnessed by remote communities around Australia’s coast.”

As part its partnership with the Traditional Owners, Seabourn will make a donation to assist Wunambal Gaambera to develop a self-sustaining industry, producing authentic works of art and craft by Wunambal Gaambera artists to sell.

In addition, Seabourn will also supply the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation with various art supplies to foster sustainable, commercial arts and craft initiatives, and will work alongside Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners as they share their Wanjina Wunggurr culture.

Seabourn chose the Kimberley for the site of the naming ceremony because the region represents everything for which the ship is intended, while also affording the opportunity for the line to create a lasting relationship with Wunambal Gaambera as an investment in sustainable tourism.

Seabourn intends to work with the Wunambal Gaambera to share their unique Uunguu Experience, imparting Wanjina Wunggurr culture.

The relationship with Wunambal Gaambera serves as a symbolic gesture of stewardship and responsibility toward the environment and the communities that Seabourn visits.

Seabourn further intends to work alongside Wunambal Gaambera as they share their unique Uunguu Experience, imparting Wanjina Wunggurr culture through welcome and smoking ceremonies; rock art tours; junba song and dance; and art and stories from the Uunguu Rangers who are looking after and keeping the country healthy.

Seabourn Pursuit offers a wide range of expedition activities led by an expert 24-person expedition team of scientists, scholars and naturalists.

Designed and built for remote, diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards, the ship includes a plethora of modern hardware and technology that extends the ship’s global deployment and capabilities. There is close to 2787sqm (30,000 square feet) of deck space, as well as indoor and outdoor guest areas with nearly 270-degree views.

In addition, a 4K GSS Cineflex Camera is mounted on the mast of the Constellation Lounge and capable of broadcasting imagery from miles ahead on monitors located throughout the ship and in guest suites.