Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ate Shoals, Gardner Pinnacles, Maro Reef, Laysan Island, Lisianski Island, Pearl and
Hermes Atoll, Midway Atoll and Kure Atoll.
The total land area of the NWHI is less than 5 sq miles. Human history on the is-
lands extends back to when the first Polynesian voyagers arrived in the Hawaiian
archipelago (Papahānaumokuākea is the Hawaiian name for 'earth mother'). In
modern times, the most famous place has been Midway Atoll; it's currently the
only island open to visitors.
Preserving an Ecological Balance
The NWHI contain the USA's largest and healthiest coral-reef system, home to
7000 marine species. Half of the fish species and a quarter of all species found
here are endemic to Hawaii, with new ones discovered on every scientific voyage.
This is a rare ʻtop predator-dominated ecosystem,' in which sharks, groupers, jacks
and others make up over 54% of the biomass (which is three times greater than in
the main Hawaiian Islands). The NWHI also support more than 14 million tropical
seabirds, and they are the primary breeding ground for endangered green sea
turtles and Hawaiian monk seals.
However, the islands are not pristine. Ocean currents bring over 50 tons of
debris to the islands annually, and cleanups have removed over 700 tons of en-
tangled fishing nets, plastic bottles and trash so far.
Today, the monument is jointly managed by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the state. The
monument's 15-year management plan has raised concerns among some Native
Hawaiians and environmental groups such as the Sierra Club. The plan exempts
from its regulations the US military (which conducts missile tests and navy training
exercises in the area) and allows for increasing visits to Midway and trips for sci-
entific research - all of which could damage areas the monument is charged with
preserving.
Nihoa & Mokumanamana
Nihoa and Mokumanamana, the two tiny islands closest to Kauaʻi, were home to
Native Hawaiians from around AD 1000 to 1700. More than 135 archaeological
sites have been identified, including temple platforms, house sites, agricultural ter-
races, burial caves and carved stone images. As many as 175 people may have
once lived on Nihoa and paddled over to Mokumanamana for religious ceremonies.
That anyone could live at all on these rocks is remarkable. Nihoa is only 1 sq km
in size, and Mokumanamana is one-sixth that size. Nihoa juts from the sea steeply,
like a broken tooth; it's the tallest among the NMHI, with 900ft sea cliffs. Two en-
dangered endemic land birds live on Nihoa. The Nihoa finch, which, like the Laysan
finch, is a raider of other birds' eggs, has a population of a few thousand. The Ni-
hoa millerbird, related to the Old World warbler family, numbers fewer than 700.
