Hawaii's most remote islands

The underwater landscape of Deep Pockets - Midway Island - Northwest Islands

Article by: David Lukas, August 2008

Here's one thing you can say about America's newest national monument: its name is a real mouthful. When Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument was designated in 2007, there was widespread speculation that President Bush would not be able to pronounce the name during the official ceremony (he actually passed with flying colours). Try it for yourself and see how you fare.

This Hawaiian name honours the birth of the Hawaiian Islands (Papahānaumoku is the goddess who birthed the islands; her husband was Wakea) and it's been given to a part of the Hawaiian archipelago that very few people ever see - a sprawling line of 10 islands that lie to the west of the main Hawaiian Islands: Nihoa, Necker, French Frigate Shoals, Gardner Pinnacles, Laysan, Lisianski, Pearl and Hermes Reef, Midway and Kure. It's been closed to the public in recent years, but now it's possible to secure passage to this magical realm.

Native songbirds with no fear of humans wandered into tents and hopped around dinner tables at mealtime.

This is the most remote archipelago in the world, sitting smack dab in the centre of the Pacific Ocean, with San Francisco 2800 miles to the east and Japan 2200 miles to the west. Even the Big Island of Hawai'i is 1200 miles away. All this isolation translates into one stellar quality: super-abundant wildlife.

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, as they are often called, were first protected in 1909 by Theodore Roosevelt. At that time Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles and nesting seabirds were so dense on some islands that visitors had difficulty picking their way across beaches. Native songbirds with no fear of humans wandered into tents and hopped around dinner tables at mealtime.

Sadly, this paradise succumbed to an onslaught of human activity in the 1900s, including the introduction of many invasive plants and animals, hunting, and the building of a military base on Midway Island. Meanwhile, a caretaker on Laysan Island introduced rabbits that multiplied by the thousands, completely stripping the island of its vegetation and driving three native birds to extinction.

Increasingly protected - first as a reserve, then as a wildlife refuge, now as a national monument, and hopefully soon as a World Heritage Site - the islands are staging a remarkable comeback. Today they're home to an estimated 14 million seabirds, one of the greatest concentrations of birds found anywhere on earth. Midway Island alone has 2 million nesting seabirds, including close to a million albatross that make a tremendous racket as they dance together, moaning like lovesick cows.

Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis), Midway Island.

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are also home to nearly 4500 sq miles of coral reef habitat, providing food and shelter for countless fish, monk seals, dolphins, and sea turtles. These isolated reefs are among the best protected coral reefs in the world, and they were one of the primary reasons for establishing the 140,000-sq-mile Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (which is larger than all of the USA's national parks combined).

Ironically, the very isolation that safeguards these islands has also kept them out of the public eye. If you want to learn more about the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and their wildlife, drop by the new Mokupāpapa Discovery Center in Hilo or visit the informative multi-agency website, but it takes an adventurous spirit to see the islands firsthand.

It was only in 1996, when the US Navy turned Midway Island over the Fish & Wildlife Service, that the public was first allowed to visit any of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Unfortunately, Midway was closed again shortly thereafter for logistical reasons, and because the other islands are off-limits and no boats are allowed in monument waters, this closure shut down the entire archipelago to visitors.

But here's the exciting news: Midway reopened to visitors on a limited basis in 2008, with the possibility of more visitors being allowed in the future. Once again, a few lucky people will have the chance to wander among nesting albatross, swim with dolphins in the sparkling clear waters and walk long beaches in hopes of seeing sea turtles. Visit now for a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

If you want to visit

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument may be one of the most difficult and challenging places to visit in the world. Only Midway Island is open to the public, and options are extremely limited. Perhaps the easiest choice is to sign up for a natural history expedition offered by the Oceanic Society. Groups are limited to 16 visitors, so these six-day expeditions allow for a remarkably intimate experience. Vacation Safaris also makes a one-day stop at the island on their 20-day cruise to Hawaii.

Private parties may apply for a visitor permit through a new Fish & Wildlife Service program called the Midway Interim Visitor Services Plan. Applications are due four months in advance, and you still must arrange your own transport to the islands if you're lucky enough to be approved.

Another option is to volunteer with the Fish & Wildlife Service to help with wildlife surveys and habitat restoration. They take two to three volunteers at a time for three-month stays on Midway. They also take a couple of volunteers for six-month stays on Laysan and Tern Islands, extremely remote sites that very few people will ever get to visit. Call 808 792 9487 for information on upcoming openings or to inquire about other volunteer options.

May and June are the best times to visit for the most favourable weather and for peak albatross nesting behavior.