None of us could even remember how to pronounce the name of this island before we arrived (and honestly, even for a few days after — we were a little rattled after a bumpy 3-day sail 🫠). But it ended up being one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. The people were astonishingly kind — making balloon animals for the kids at dinner, bringing their families to the port just to say ‘hi’ & look at our boat & welcome us, and even the local children were so caring & sweet to little Darwin & Lenny despite the language barrier. And of course, the ocean there!! 🤯 I’ve never seen so much diverse marine life in relatively small area. Not even 5 minutes from port & we’d encounter humpback whales, oceanic mantas, wahoo, turtles, reef sharks, and vibrant coral reefs. Because there aren’t airports on Chichi-jima nor the neighboring Ogasawara Islands, it’s a little challenging to visit — you’ve got to brave a 24-hour [rather rough-looking] ferry from Tokyo, or sail on your own like ...