S1-E52: Vanuatu: A Deadly Calm

In Episode 52, the Resolution departs Mallicolo and immediately enters hazardous waters crowded with islands, reefs, and shifting currents. Smoke rises from Ambrym, Pa-uhm, and Apih, signaling inhabited lands—but the real danger comes aboard with dinner. Two red sea breams poison much of the ship’s company, leaving officers helpless and the vessel struggling to function.

Between smoke, sickness, and stone, the voyage continues—each new island gained at the edge of disaster. – Click on the image to listen to this episode on YouTube.

As the crew recovers, discovery continues. Three-Hills Island, the Shepherd’s Islands, and strange rock formations are charted at close range, where knowledge can only be gained through risk. Calm winds repeatedly leave the ship at the mercy of tides, nearly driving her onto sheer cliffs by night.

Among these perils, Cook names Sandwich Island—fertile, open, and tempting to colonial imagination. Yet even as land offers promise, fear returns in the form of smoke below decks, briefly convincing the crew that the ship itself is ablaze.

This episode captures exploration at its most fragile: when curiosity, courage, and survival hang in a precarious balance.