Yesterday I had a green message flash up, to say 10 of my villagers, adults only and all young and fit, had left the shore by boat to explore for a new home.

The game is completed weeks ago, and I just have kept it going.

Of course I immediately was able to have more babies as the tribe previously was at max populations and I have to wait for an Elder to die to start a new baby.

Has anyone else had their villagers do this?
And do they come back??
If so my population would be way over.

They cannot be the party that we found in VV3 as there are kids there.

Did a search but could not find anything.

They don't come back, as far as I know. This is just one of the ways the game randomly adds or removes villagers to and from your tribe.

It's one of the late-game Island Events, and the villagers are permanently removed from the village.

That's very strange - I opened mmy game today having finished it for months and I had the same event. I was a little sad that I didn't get to see them sail off.

Yes and unless you have named your villagers yourself you do not know who has gone.

Cannot say I have noticed anyone that I was keeping an eye on has gone.

That's annoying! I get emotionally attached to my villagers

You say this is a late game happening. How late in the game? How long would it typically have to run?

You need to have basically completed the game and have a large population to see that event.