Bobo Island

Bobo Island belongs to the Kerema coastal sea of the Gulf of Papua, along the concave shoreline of Gulf Province. Many rivers descend from the New Guinea highlands and enter the gulf through broad deltas. Fresh water, moving sediment and tidal salt water meet around their mouths, creating muddy channels, sheltered water and rich marine habitat.

The coast receives heavy rain throughout the year and supports dense tropical rainforest. More than twenty languages are spoken in Gulf Province; around Kerema they include Toaripi, Kakiae, Opae, Moivo Hivi and Tairuma. Villages from Hamuhamu and Miaru to Iokea used Toaripi and moved by canoe between river, delta and coast.

Marine life, jungle plants, sago and betel nut supported communities. Fishing and boat travel linked coastal and river settlements, while shifting channels required constant knowledge of shoals and currents. Islands and deltas were places where water and forest met, and small communities used the gulf both as a route and as a supply of food. Canoes followed channels reshaped by every rainy season.