The story of our search began in 2016 when we happened upon a short animated film.
The film is about a hungry baby sandpiper learning to find food along a shore, yet fearful of incoming waves. With the help and encouragement of a young hermit crab, the baby sandpiper found its courage and discovered a new, innovative way of catching clams. Much to the delight of its mother.
You may have heard of this award-winning short film – Piper by Pixar. The film delighted us with its simple message of taking risks and finding success through friendship, courage and curiosity. It inspired us to find out more about our avian friends, which led us to the Plover.
The Plover is a type of migratory shorebird that proves size does not matter.
Although small in size, Plovers, like Sandpipers, have incredible speed and endurance. This is well shown in their annual winter migratory season. Amazingly, they are able to fly non-stop from Siberia to Southeast Asia in 3 to 4 days in search of warmer climes and food. This impressive feat is achieved through teamwork and perseverance – qualities we pride ourselves upon.
We learned that the name Plover has been used throughout history, exemplifying adventure, courage and integrity.
Credits: Ackermann & Co and the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Since 1652, 11 British Royal Navy warships were proudly christened ‘Plover’. They served in many exploratory and dangerous expeditions. Some fought wars, while others embarked on great adventures of exploration and discovery.
One such HMS Plover (pictured left) had the daunting task of mapping out the southern coast of Hong Kong and China between 1842 to 1846.
In 1848, the same HMS Plover was sent on a search and rescue mission to find 2 ships – HMS Erebus and HMS Terror – lost in the icy and treacherous Northwest Passage. The ships were the most advanced then in the English Royal Navy. They were seeking to be the first to sail through the Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Both ships were ultimately lost with all hands.
Embarking on such a dangerous journey without precise maps or modern navigation system required great bravery and integrity from the crew and officers of the HMS Plover. They could have given up at any point in time. Instead, they endured 2 year of unforgiving arctic waters and dangers in search for the missing men.
The characteristics of the HMS Plover and our avian friend, the Plover, are a reflection of our own values. Today, we strive to continue the incredible legacy of our name by committing to the same qualities of Courage, Innovation, Perseverance, Integrity and Teamwork (CIPIT).
These values are what defines us, as we venture to bring new, innovative services and solutions to our clients in the corporate travel industry.
