Little visited and clouded with swirling rumours, we found the Solomons to be a land that was best explored by taking our own initiative and mapping out our own course. Along the way we encountered sunken wrecks, hidden wartime relics, reef passes barely meters across, twisting narrow rivers, hatching turtles, curious crocodiles, isolated islands and welcoming villages. Time and time again we put ourselves and our ship “Into the Red Zone,” but emerged safely with tales of adventure to tell.