As might be guessed, Pentecost Island was named by a European explorer who sighted it on the day of Pentecost, 22 May 1768. That explorer was the Frenchman Louis Antoine de Bougainville. A lush, mountainous island without any real towns, islanders are subsistence farmers and fishermen. The island is most famous for an activity that inspired bungee jumping. Originally a ritual called nanggol, or land-diving, men would construct tall towers, tie vines to their feet and jump off them. The purpose of the ritual was a fertility manhood ritual, and also to ensure a good harvest of yams. The vines tied to the ankles of the men were springy, and the lengths calculated just right so the men would brush the ground lightly and therefore survive the fall. Witnessing this ritual and filmed by the BBC in the 1950s, is believed to have led to the modern sport of bungee jumping.
INCLUDED EXPEDITION:
Visit ashore to see the seasonal ritual of Land Diving