We are thrilled to announce the Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners as godparents of Seabourn Pursuit, our newest ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ship. The naming of Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners serves as a symbolic gesture of stewardship and responsibility toward the environment and the communities that we visit, as well as our commitment to sustainable tourism.
We truly believe in the transformative power of travel, and when we visit local communities, we are able to both celebrate their culture and drive positive sustainable change in the places they call home. When we set out to name the godparent for Seabourn Pursuit, we knew we wanted to do something that celebrates this special moment for the ship and also allows us to drive long term sustainable positive change in line with values Seabourn and our guests stand for.
Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation (WGAC) Chairperson Catherine Goonack, Uunguu Ranger and Senior Traditional Owner Desmond Williams and Senior Traditional Owner Maria Fredericks will represent the community on board Seabourn Pursuit to participate in the inaugural dedication ceremony.
that includes the sea country of Banjal (Vansittart Bay), Ngula Jar Island and Yirinni (Hunter River), and the freshwater country of Ngauwudu (Mitchell Plateau). The naming ceremony will take place in Ngula, Jar Island on the Uunguu Coast.
As part of this appointment and partnership with the Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners, Seabourn will make a donation that allows us to contribute to a self-sustaining industry, producing authentic works of art by Wunambal Gaambera artists to sell. In addition to this meaningful monetary donation, Seabourn will also supply the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation with pearl shells and various art supplies and polishing materials to foster sustainable, commercial art initiatives year-round for Wunambal Gaambera artists. In turn, Seabourn is helping to provide opportunities for employment for Wunambal Gaambera artists.
Seabourn's monetary contribution, along with funding already received from the State Tourism Authority, Tourism Western Australia, will contribute to Wunambal Gaambera’s development of tourism facilities and products for Traditional Owners to live on their country during the dry season when tourism operators can access the vast coastline of the Kimberley region.
We hope that our investment in building local housing in the land that originally belonged to this community will serve as a catalyst of positive change for years to come. We are also very pleased that the Australian government’s contribution, which makes this even more impactful.