The North Western Hawaiian Islands - First Stop Nihoa
On a research expedition to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. I am blessed that I was chosen to go out to the remote North Western Hawaiian Islands, on the NOAA research vessel, the Hi`ialakai.
We were scheduled for twenty-five days of intense diving in the most untouched marine environment on this planet. I am working on an outreach film for NOAA that will describe the significance of keeping this area closed to visitors and highlight the important research that is being conducted out there. We left on July 7th 2007.
Our first dive location was 245 miles from Honolulu, Nihoa, A sheer rock coming up from the deep.
The corals were not as abandon as I expected, I realized later that only in certain areas one could find an abundance of corals since the winter in the middle of the Pacific accommodate harsh weather and strong storms. I was surprised that there weren’t too many fish. Since this area is outside of the monument it is very likely that its being fished.
But non the less, I enjoyed seeing white tip sharks, many chubs in black and yellow and my first underwater sighting of the extremely endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal.