North Sentinel Island Encounter

[Airbrush]

Recently I read this story that sounds hard to believe but may be true.

According to John Callahan and verified by the photographer on board in 1999 a boatload of surfers anchored off the notorious North Sentinel Island and had an encounter with the generally hostile natives. The following song was playing on the boat's sound system when the natives approached in their canoe, holding spears, bows and arrows. They paddled around their boat listening to the music for a while and then left them alone. Good thing the music was mellow, contemplative instrumental. Seems to me if it was heavy metal the surfers may have been murdered.

Here was the music that was playing that may have saved their lives:

 

 

"Suddenly, the warriors stopped paddling. Gliding towards the boat they looked transfixed. With no engine noise from their canoe, the captain said they could hear the music from the sound system on the boat."

"They could throw spears or shoot poisoned arrows at any time, and we were scared shitless. But they did nothing, appearing to be listening to the music. After three slow circles around our boat, they paddled away, reached the sand, carried their canoe up past the tree line and disappeared into the forest"

Escape from North Sentinel Island | Swellnet Dispatch | Swellnet

Edited December 30, 2022 by Airbrush

[Genady]

11 hours ago, Airbrush said:

After three slow circles around our boat, they paddled away, reached the sand, carried their canoe up past the tree line and disappeared into the forest

I think it scared them.

[StringJunky]

They've been cut off for a long time and I think they suffered some lethal epidemics when they mixed with outsiders, leading to them giving hostile receptions since.

[Airbrush]

Is it a true story?  The story is almost too good to be true.  Only a year ago did I hear the story of North Sentinel Island.  But do you think a boatload of surfers in 1999 would risk surfing the southern tip of an island they were warned to avoid because of hostile natives (but it had good waves)?  They knew it was illegal, so they snuck in at night and they had a shot gun with them.  I suppose they would dare do it.

Edited December 31, 2022 by Airbrush

[StringJunky]

29 minutes ago, Airbrush said:

Is it a true story?  The story is almost too good to be true.  Only a year ago did I hear the story of North Sentinel Island.  But do you think a boatload of surfers in 1999 would risk surfing the southern tip of an island they were warned to avoid because of hostile natives (but it had good waves)?  They knew it was illegal, so they snuck in at night and they had a shot gun with them.  I suppose they would dare do it.

There are lots of morons and naives  in the world. I remember reading a Jehovas Witness thought he'd try converting them and jumped all the legal obstacles to arrive on N Sentinel shore only to get killed.

[Phi for All]

1 hour ago, StringJunky said:

There are lots of morons and naives  in the world. I remember reading a Jehovas Witness thought he'd try converting them and jumped all the legal obstacles to arrive on N Sentinel shore only to get killed.

I think that's where the phrase "douche canoe" came from. 

[joigus]

22 hours ago, Airbrush said:

Recently I read this story that sounds hard to believe but may be true.

According to John Callahan and verified by the photographer on board in 1999 a boatload of surfers anchored off the notorious North Sentinel Island and had an encounter with the generally hostile natives. The following song was playing on the boat's sound system when the natives approached in their canoe, holding spears, bows and arrows. They paddled around their boat listening to the music for a while and then left them alone. Good thing the music was mellow, contemplative instrumental. Seems to me if it was heavy metal the surfers may have been murdered.

Here was the music that was playing that may have saved their lives:

 

 

"Suddenly, the warriors stopped paddling. Gliding towards the boat they looked transfixed. With no engine noise from their canoe, the captain said they could hear the music from the sound system on the boat."

"They could throw spears or shoot poisoned arrows at any time, and we were scared shitless. But they did nothing, appearing to be listening to the music. After three slow circles around our boat, they paddled away, reached the sand, carried their canoe up past the tree line and disappeared into the forest"

Escape from North Sentinel Island | Swellnet Dispatch | Swellnet

Fascinating story. Their brethren, the Onge people and the Jarawa, weren't that lucky. The Onge were the first to fall, and were relocated. The Jarawa resisted a bit longer. They complain bitterly of contact with the world now. The North Sentinelese still stand. There was only one sucessful contact from what I know, by a delegation from India. But they remain isolated. Apparently the Indian government has given up on all attempts to contact them.

[Genady]

An overview here is very interesting (but doesn't include the encounter described in OP): North Sentinel Island: a timeline of the world’s most isolated tribe | Atlas & Boots (atlasandboots.com)

PS. Perhaps a good model for humanity if we are ever visited by aliens.