Seabourn officially named the Seabourn Pursuit in a ceremony at Ngula Jar Island, Australia, on June 29, 2024, involving Traditional Owners from the Wunambal Gaambera community.
The event aimed to honor Wunambal Gaambera Country and people, with guests participating in cultural ceremonies such as a smoking ceremony to wish safe travels and a traditional story-telling song and dance performance.
Seabourn and Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners exchanged gifts to symbolize their partnership, and guests witnessed a naming ceremony in both the Wunambal Gaambera language and English.
Seabourn President Natalya Leahy said: “this day marks a very special event with the christening of Seabourn Pursuit, our newest ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ship. 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.
Catherine Goonack, chair, Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation, said: “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 the language on Country, we are healthy. Thank you, Seabourn, for your support. Biyanga graa winya – Welcome.”
