Maskelynes Discovery

Off the south-eastern tip of Malekula, Vanuatu's second-largest island, the low Maskelyne Islands are one of the few places in the Pacific where sailing canoes are still in daily use. They are also a global hotspot for dugongs, the gentle sea mammals said to have inspired the mermaid legend.

Maskelynes Discovery is a four-day trip with Vanuatu Ecotours. You snorkel reefs, explore remote islands, sail a traditional outrigger canoe and swim near dugongs, following the Vanuatu Environmental Science Society's guidelines. Sightings aren't guaranteed, but it's rare to spend four days here without one. A local family hosts you in a bungalow at the lagoon's edge, with meals from their gardens and the day's catch.

The local community restricts dugong hunting, and the trip supports its conservation work. Ask us about dates: departures depend on flight connections to Malekula.