BLUE Lagoon Cruises has a 70-year long history with Fiji.
And the pristine blue waters of the Yasawa and Mamanuca groups have been home for its vessels for just as long.
The cruise company turned 70 this year and marked its longstanding relationship with Fiji and its people in style.
Now an affiliate of Fijian Holdings Ltd and South Sea Cruises, Blue Lagoon Cruises CEO Brad Rutherford said he was proud of how the firm had developed from very humble beginnings to where it was today.
He said Blue Lagoon Cruises history could be traced back to the late 1940s when a young New Zealand stockbroker by the name of Captain Trevor Withers travelled to Fiji with a good friend of his by the name of Harold Gatty.
Their first venture was not leisure cruises, but tuna fishing.
The duo discerned the need to kickstart their venture with the blessings of traditional leaders and their first step was visiting the chiefs of all the islands.
It was at Waya Lailai where they enlisted the help of a young villager, Epeli Voli, as an interpreter.
With his help, Capt Withers obtained full support of the Yasawa people for his fishing venture and established firm friendships with the chiefs and the people of the Yasawa Islands.
After four years, Capt Withers and Mr Gatty concluded that their hopes of establishing a tuna fishing industry were not viable.
However, the duo were smitten by the peace and tranquillity of the islands.
They had fallen in love with Fiji and wished to remain in the islands.
“The colony at the time was under British rule and had neither fishing nor tourism industries, with the only international visitors being those passing through on their trans-Pacific voyages between North America and New Zealand or Australia,” explained Mr Rutherford.
“After working out that the fishing industry was not going to be viable, both men decided to stay in Fiji after having fallen in love with the country and its people.”
He said while Capt Withers focused his attention on establishing Fiji’s first cruise business, his friend Mr Gatty looked towards Fiji’s skies.
“Harold Gatty went on to establish what was known then as Fiji Airways,” he said.
“Capt Withers’ attention focused on the idyllic Yasawa Islands and how he could establish a business within a region.
“He was so attached to it. As a result Blue Lagoon Cruises was born.”
Mr Rutherford said the moniker ‘Blue Lagoon’ came from the title of a popular movie filmed in the Yasawa Group.
“The name originated from the 1948 movie shot in the Yasawas of the same name and Capt Withers thought it was totally appropriate for his new venture.”
He said setting the business up was not without its many challenges, however, being a young New Zealander with big dreams he kept at it.
“As you can very well imagine, the first cruise set sail in 1950 using a modified American fast boat left over after World War II.
“However, Capt Withers had one small problem.
“He had no passengers.”
Mr Rutherford said the fast-thinking captain grabbed the first people he saw at the Suva wharf and set sail for the Yasawas and was greeted by excited villagers.
“Not to disappoint the villagers who were awaiting his arrival, he grabbed six Fijian men on the wharf and the first cruise sailed from Suva.
“He then set sail every Monday for the next few weeks with Fijians on board, providing passage to and from the Yasawas.
“He soon realised financial ruin was imminent.”
Mr Rutherford said Capt Withers’ financial situation forced him to sell his cruise business, but his venture was the beginning of what would turn out to be a booming industry.
“At the last throw of the dice, he sold his worldly possessions to fund a sales trip to North America.
“But as a result of his sales efforts, tourists started to arrive and Blue Lagoon Cruises first paying guests with it.
“Within the second year a second vessel was purchased and the Blue Lagoon Cruises product was well on its way.”
By 1966, Blue Lagoon Cruises had established an international reputation and was sold by Capt Withers to Captain Claude Millar, a well-known New Zealand
shipowner who carried on the legacy set by his fellow Kiwi countryman.
Today, Blue Lagoon Cruises is managed by South Sea Cruises.
Under its new management, the cruise liner has undergone a series of changes and improvements.
Blue Lagoon Cruises still remains the company’s important link with the Yasawa villages.
The company supports the Yasawa community through its association with the Vinaka Fiji Volunteer Programs run by the Yasawa Trust Foundation.
