This photo courtesy of eXXpedition. Header photo of Tavake by Tahnei Roy.

eXXpedition is a pioneering all-female sailing initiative and scientific research mission raising awareness of the environmental and health impacts of single-use plastic and toxics in our oceans. Parley supported their 2018 North Pacific Gyre voyage, which saw a crew of 24 women crossing the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ between Hawai’i and Vancouver.

This year, we’re proud to support Parley collaborator Tavake Pakomio’s place onboard to represent her home island, share the story of her work there with Parley and collaborate with other crew members on research and knowledge exchange. During Leg 8 of the two year voyage, she and the other crew will spend 25 days crossing the ocean between Rapa Nui and Tahiti, stopping at one of the most isolated islands on our planet to study the accumulation of drifting plastic. We caught up with her to learn more.

Q & A with Tavake

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you first got involved with the ocean movement.

I was born and raised on the remote island of Rapa Nui. My dad was native to the island and our life was all about nature and being in the ocean – so I grew up always looking the ocean and admiring its beauty. Then in my 20’s as a surfer I became the first female on the island leading a surf club. We got asked to join a local NGO related to marine conservation, and that was when I really began to understand the issues and how urgent it is to protect the ocean. We are all connected by the ocean, and on Rapa Nui it’s important for us to raise our voice as islanders and as an indigenous community.

Why do you love the oceans?

Being in the ocean is the most amazing, mystic and inspiring experience for me. I have always been close to the ocean, and it’s been a part of my life to wake up and see the ocean. I have a fascination with wildlife, and I love every animal in the sea.

What is the current situation on Rapa Nui? Are you finding that plastic is getting worse?

The current situation is not good. For years, our coasts have been impacted by plastic that comes through currents, swells and wind. 99% is from industrial fishing – so cords, nets, boxes, etc. We are very close to the South Pacific Gyre, so we always have this plastic coming invading our coast what is really bad considering the high rate of rare and endemic species in Rapa Nui’s waters.

What are you and Parley doing to combat this?

For the last two years we have been running the local coastal and beach cleanup program in partnership with our local NGO Te Mau O Te Vaikava – hosting more than 30 cleanups a year as well developing educational programs for local children and youth. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in talks, workshops, and summits with Parley that have inspired me to innovate and and see problems as solutions.

Are there other big environmental issues on Rapa Nui?

Trash management is the biggest, but we need to keep an eye on agriculture, soil and water management to improve it and use these delicate resources in a more sustainable way.

What do you hope to get out of the eXXpedition voyage from your home island to Tahiti?

A really want to expand my knowledge of plastic issues and solutions, be able to share my experience and connect with all of these amazing woman to create a powerful network of collaboration for our oceans and communities. I also want to learn the most I can about sailing.

Have you ever sailed this far before? Are you anxious about going on the open ocean?

Never in my life! I’m really looking forward to experience that moment of being surrounded by the ocean and the sky – dreaming of a clear sky at night full of stars.

The route

Starting at Rapa Nui, the group will meet the community, conduct a beach cleanup with Tavake’s NGO Te Mau O Te Vaikava and explore the Rapa Nui Marine Park. They will then set sail towards the Pitcairn group of islands and weather permitting, visit Ducie – an uninhabited island that is the southernmost atoll in the world. Ducie lies 300 km east of Henderson Island, and studies have extrapolated that there is between 200 and 2,000 times more trash on the islands now than there were back then. The crew will step ashore to investigate some of the impacts of this influx of marine debris, then set sail again for Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia. Having sailed 2500 nautical miles, the crew will be treated to incredible South Pacific scenery as they head towards land, with the high peaks of two extinct volcanoes, part of the Society hotspot volcanic island chain and a rich coral reef fringing the island of Tahiti.