Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 2, 1 February 1988 — Naturally Hawaiian [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Naturally Hawaiian

CJndisturbed Refuge By Patrick Ching Artist/Environmentalist Far away from the traffic and skyscrapers of downtown Honolulu is a part of Hawaii that is rarely seen by humans. These are the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, often referred to as the "Leeward Islands." They are all that remain of large volcanic islands whieh onee towered high abovetheocean'ssurface. This string of atolls and islets extend from the 900-foot high island of Nihoa to the remote atoll of Kure whieh lies nearly 1,200 miles northwest of Kauai. Though the northwestem — most atolls of Midway and Kure are inhabited by Coast Guard employees and other federal contract workers, the rest of the Leewards from Pearl and Hermes reef to Nihoa are part of the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands National Wildlife Refuge. These islands were set aside in 1909 by President Theodore Roosevelt to preserve the rare and endangered wildlife that live here. Aside from the handful of biologists who visit these islands to study its wildlife, life on the refuge goes on undisturbed by humans. The rare and endangered Hawaiian monk seals make their home here. They are found nowhere else in the world.

A number of different sea turtles frequent Hawaiian waters. The most eommon by far is the Pacific green sea turtle. French Frigate Shoals, a crescent-shaped atoll, hosts the largest breeding colony in the Pacific for these turtles. They eome here eaeh summer to feed, mateand lay their eggs. The eggs hatch in the warm sand after a eouple of months and about 100 tiny turtles make their treacherous way to the water to begin their lives. Unfortunately, many do not make it because they fall prey to birds, crabs and other predators. Below the ocean's surface, life takes on a different dimension as creatures of the sea cover the reefs in great abundance. Schools of fish swim about, unthinned by human predation. A fisherman's dream? Perhaps so, but a sure paradise for fish. In the air and on the land, sea birds by the thousands make up the bulk of the Leeward Islands' animal populations. Albatross and 'iwa birds, shearwaters and other birds congregate here, making this one of the most important sea bird rookeries in the world. Aside from the sea birds, the Leeward Islands a!so host a few species of endemic land birds, of whieh the Laysan duck and Nihoa finch are two examples. Indeed there is mueh to be known about this very special part of Hawaii. Although one may not see it first hand, there is greatsatisfaction in knowing there are still places in our state beyond the reach of civilization where nature is in charge and things ean go on living just for the sake of being wild.