On a clear calm day, we were heading to Seal Kittery island, the southwestern most island within Pearl and Hermes atoll, when my teammate started yelling,"Stop!! Oh my god...stop the boat!". Fearing I was going to run over a shallow reef, or worse, I immediately pulled back on the throttle. "What is it?!" I asked her. She was staring over the side of the boat into the clear water. "This is it...THIS is where all the blue in the ocean comes from!" she said, still staring through the glassy surface into the deep waters surrounding the boat.
Pearl and Hermes atoll holds a special place in my heart. Even after over 10 field season, I'm still amazed at the sights and sound of the atoll. From my very first visit to today, there is always something that make me stop and say,"Wow...never seen that before!". The colors of the atoll span the entire spectrum, from the deep blue waters to the bright white sand.
The atoll is home to a plethora of wildlife both above and below the water. There is not much land, just five islands large enough for the various sea birds to nest on. Two to four additional sand spits add to the beach area for seals and turtles to rest. With a minimal amount of bickering, the wildlife does manage to share the limited real estate.
The immensity of the atoll can be intimidating, especially when boating between islands. Some trips take you out of the sight of land, giving you the feeling of being alone in the middle of the Pacific on a very small boat. On a calm day, this can be a spiritual experience. When it's rough it's just scary. Fortunately, on most days the spinner dolphins are around to keep us company.
Each northwestern Hawaiian island has it's own unique quality, and everyone working up here has their favorite. You can probably guess which is mine.
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