by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:40 AM ET, Mon July 1, 2024
Leading luxury and expedition cruise line Seabourn celebrated the naming ceremony of its latest ship, the Seabourn Pursuit, on June 29 with the Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners at Ngula Jar Island, Australia.
The naming ceremony marks the first time Traditional Owners have ever named a ship. The naming ceremony was conducted both in English and the Wunambal Gaambera language. The bottle-breaking was done responsibly, using a bottle made from sugar and coated with sand from the island to leave no trace.
The day-long ceremony included a traditional welcome and smoking ceremony, “jimirri,” to welcome guests, a storytelling song and dance performance, the “Junba,” gift exchanges between the Traditional Owners and Seabourn and excursions to ancient rock art sites in the area.
“This day marks a very special event with the christening of Seabourn Pursuit, our newest ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ship,” said Seabourn President Natalya Leahy. “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 a 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.”
Representatives from the local government and Tourism Western Australia. The partnership with the Wunambal Gaambera includes a donation to help the Traditional Owners to preserve their arts and crafts to sell, and continue to offer rock art tours and other cultural experiences for visitors.
Guests of Seabourn Pursuit's naming ceremony participated in a traditional Wunambal Gaambera "jimirri," or welcome ceremony. (Photo Credit: Seabourn)
Ngula Jar Island will be a port for all Seabourn itineraries visiting the Kimberley region of Australia, ensuring consistent visitation to the Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners.
“We are honored 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,” said Catherine Goonack, Chair, Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation.
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