The ship was a relatively modest freighter and had set out from Heiya Island just as many of the various celebrations for the Lunar New Year were starting. Ami and Tsukuyomi were the main passengers that were picked up by the ship, and they found that there was a team of geologists onboard.
"You're coming along?" Ami asked to one of the geologists who had been waiting for the two Wolf Animalians as they boarded the ship, "we had thought that most of those interested would be map makers."
"There are some cartographers coming along," the geologist chuckled, "but to my understanding, a lot of what has related to this island... and to a degree, Heiya Island, isn't so much about mapping as it is people paying attention."
"But it's been reported that this island hasn't been on any official maps," Tsukuyomi commented while he felt the ship begin to get underway.
"The key word there is "official" as even Heiya Island's legacy shows," the geologist smiled, "it wasn't on official maps, but you guys found that people FOUND the island and never reported it to store treasure there... which they couldn't come back for because of returning to Japan and then dying. And since the island was never revealed... no one went looking for it."
"But one would think that it would have been found and mapped later on," Tsukuyomi pointed out, "if not by Japan as it began to trade with the world outside of Japan, then by the Americans, British, or other western powers that would have had to sail by these islands. The Americans in particular."
"Perhaps," the geologist commented, "but that's where people "not paying attention" comes into play. Many people, Japanese people included, often pay little attention to things they aren't looking for. The Americans likely flew over both this island and Heiya Island in WW2, but because there was no military base on these islands and no recorded actions over them, they paid little attention to them. And the same would probably apply for traders and others coming into Japan in the second half of the 1800s and Japanese traders going out early in the 20th century. No one was living on these islands and thus no one knew if they were important and thus didn't bother to map them or pay attention to them."
"So, you're joining us because flight from Heiya Island to Okinawa happened to have someone report seeing the island," Ami surmised.
"More that you on Heiya Island showed interest in this island once you heard of it and were able to confirm it," the geologist shook her head, "and with the idea to colonize the island, that will increase the geology team that I'm with and their interest. Like will the island help you with agriculture. For me personally, I'm interested in seeing if the volcano is active."
"Active?" Tsukuyomi asked nervously, "but wouldn't these smaller islands have at least inactive volcanoes, like Suribachi?"
"Many could be... though to a degree, mountains like Suribachi are part of a larger volcanic system," the geologist answered, "and that's really where the investigation I'd like to run would be. It's part of what entirely relates to the islands in the Ring of Fire. Lots of volcanic islands."
"And that's what you're looking to study?" Ami asked.
The geologist nodded and that soon provided a means to let them begin the voyage. The air was fairly cool as they sailed, but both Ami and Tsukuyomi were able to enjoy being on the top deck of the ship and relaxing as it sailed. The ship's captain had the GPS coordinates of the island, and thus neither representative of Heiya Island's government needed to be guiding the ship's captain. The only time when the two Animalians had any issue was when some sea spray managed to reach them on the top deck. Though even that wasn't too much of an issue, for the weather was cool, but not stormy. With clear skies and only moderate swells the ferry made good time and with little real trouble.
They also got some time to meet the other geologists that were coming on the trip as well, and the two cartographers. Though, their tasks were fairly simple in that they would mark their GPS coordinates and then use a drone to fly up and get the outline of the island. A lot of this was also to be part of the inspection of the new island that Ami and Tsukuyomi were handling for what would be considered the expansion of the Heiya Island colony. It was expected that this new island would be about the same size as Heiya Island itself, which would mean that it would be fairly confined and would need a lot to import for construction and means to remove the salt from the sea water around the island, just as Heiya Island did, but with a lot of the progress that had been made on Heiya Island, a lot of this was expected to be workable. It might take time, but it would be workable.
After a few hours, the captain of the ship put out a call reporting that they were coming up on the island, based on the GPS coordinates that had been reported. This got both Animalians to move forward and move up toward the railing after hearing the captain's report over the intercom. This let them see out and they could see the island come into view in the distance. Much like Heiya Island when it was first established, there was some green patches across the island that they could see, but they also saw brown and darker patches that indicated the earth underneath the plants that were there. As they came up, they also noted that the new island was like Heiya Island in some ways but was different in other ways. They could see a relatively modest mountain that dominated the island, which Ami figured had to be the main part of what should be the dormant or dead volcano. However, unlike Heiya Island's mountain, which was on the southern end of the island, this mountain appeared to be right in the middle of the island, which would mean there would likely be some construction and other sorts of alterations that would have to go along with it.
"We may not get a full-fledged airfield here," Tsukuyomi said to Ami as he noted the mountain growing larger as the ship grew closer. He couldn't tell the exact size of the island, but the initial expectations of it being on par with Heiya Island in terms of the island's land area seemed spot on, which meant the central placement of that mountain would have to change things.
"Probably," Ami noted, "but we'll have to look at what sort of shore we have...and if a harbor could be constructed. That would then allow for a ferry service. People would fly in to Heiya Island and be ferried here. Or ferried from Japan to here."
"Perhaps some that converted over the past summer could help," Tsukuyomi wondered, "Kumiko, Ningen, and Kumiyo..."
"That would be assuming that everyone that comes here would want to become Orca Animalians or Tylosaurus Dinotopians," Ami reminded him, "and even that would be rather short term. Kumiko and Ningen have definitely worked out a deal with Kumiko's family's fishing business in Hokkaido and they're mostly waiting for residences to be built there for them. Kumiyo wants to go with them but is also wanting to court Ty as well."
"Given that Dinotopia Aquatica is in Florida, it wouldn't surprise me if he eventually leaves that state," Tsukuyomi grumbled, "the news on what has happened across that state does not seem... polite."
"Perhaps," Ami nodded, "though, gossip would have it that he's invited them to visit Dinotopia Aquatica in the Spring, to meet the other aquatic Dinotopians and see what they think of more warm water seas... that aren't Mieni. But all that is gossip and it wouldn't be our place to try and pressure them to change their plans. And for right now, we're just looking over the island."
"Which we probably can't put an airfield on and have room for some of the expected numbers to come here," Tsukuyomi commented.
"As I said... even if we don't have an airfield, there will be other ways for people to come," Ami answered, "and if people really have to fly... we can always commission a helipad, which wouldn't take up as much space."