Papahanaumokuakea Shipwrecks and Corsair
In addition to ships found submerged in the waters of Papahanaumokuakea, planes have also been discovered. Records of naval aircraft losses in Hawaiian waters from 1925 to 1952 lists 1,485 entries. F4U Corsairs comprise 204 of these 1,485 entries, and six of those are specifically noted as lost at Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The number of naval aircraft lost in the Hawaiian Islands is a testimony to the logistical effort and commitment of the nation during the development of aviation in the Pacific. By far, most of these losses reflect the hazards of training and non-combat operations. Many young pilots found themselves in intensive training operations over unfamiliar waters, and were forced to ditch due to engine failure, etc.
Many regard the Vought F4U Corsair as the best single-seat fighter plane in World War II. The plane’s distinctive bent-wing design allowed the use of an over-sized propeller, and combined with a powerful radial engine this produced a maximum air speed of 425 mph at 19,900 feet altitude. Searching for the identity of a Corsair aircraft south of Midway Atoll’s Sand Island provides a glimpse into the history of naval aviation in the Pacific. While documenting the spaces within and underneath the fuselage and wing sections and inside the landing gear recesses the survey team found that these areas provide a wide variety of fish species a wealth of habitats in which to shelter. The remains of the Corsair are the only conspicuous topographic feature on the relatively flat bottom at its 110-foot plus depth.
In 2002, a team of NOAA maritime archaeologists investigated the site of a Corsair at Kure Atoll. Divers noticed an aluminum aircraft starboard wing portion and debris located on the seafloor, as well as an encrusted machine gun nearby. The US Navy aviation database includes only two known Corsair losses at Kure Atoll, both related to the same incident on August 1, 1944. Both crashed in the water on the south of Kure Atoll with no loss of life.
Hawaiian Birds and Short-tailed Albatross Success
Even though this one particular Short-tailed Albatross hatched in the middle of a raging storm in January, and was swept away from its nest during a second storm in February, and then survived the Japanese tsunami in March, it still managed to fledge in June. This alone makes for an incredible survival story, but this Short-tailed Albatross chick is also the first to have been bred in the United States.
The chick’s parents were banded as fledglings on their main breeding grounds of Torishima Island, Japan. The pair then nested in the middle of a Midway Atoll decoy plot that biologists created in 2000 in an effort to lure the birds to breed there. Biologists placed dozens of decoys in the area, including models of adults and immature ‘shorties’, and played recorded birdcalls.
The Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) was once the most abundant of North Pacific albatross, but was decimated by feather hunting, and by the late 1940s was thought to be extinct. They were later found on only two breeding sites in the world -Torishima and the Senkaku Islands in Japan.
Midway Atoll, which is now part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, provides a new breeding ground for this endangered seabird, marking a potential turning point for the species. The Short-tailed Albatross ranges along the coasts of eastern Russia, Korea, China, Taiwan, Aleutian and the Hawaiian Islands, and rarely off the Pacific Coast of North America south to California. The Midway chick will spend the next two to seven years at sea before returning to land to find a mate. Photo by Pete Leary.
Papahanaumokuakea Aerial View
In this aerial video you will experience the grandeur of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from the air. From the flight deck of a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 you will tour the largest conservation area in the U.S.
Flying from Nihoa Island at the southeastern end of Papahanaumokuakea and continuing for 1200 miles over French Frigate Shoals, Laysan Island, Lisianski Island, Pearl & Hermes Atoll, Midway Atoll, to Kure Atoll, the northernmost island in the Hawaiian archipelago, this video gives you a birds-eye view of tiny islands and atolls surrounded by the azure waters of the North Pacific.
Papahanaumokuakea and Tsunami 2011
Following a massive earthquake in Japan, a tsunami washed over the three low-lying islands of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge on March 10-11, 2011 affecting the lives of Hawaiian seabirds. Surveys reveal that more than 110,000 Laysan and Black-footed Albatross chicks (about 22 percent of this year’s albatross production) were lost as a result of the tsunami and two severe winter storms preceding it.
Midway Atoll is comprised of three islands – Sand, Eastern, and Spit Islands – 1117, 366, and 15 acres, respectively. Following the earthquake, the three islands were washed by four successive waves, the tallest of which was approximately 4.9 feet. The tsunami overwashed the fringing reef and Spit Island completely, and covered approximately 60% of Eastern Island and 20% of Sand Island.
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge provides significant habitat for over 3 million seabirds of 21 species. Fortunately, only 4 species were nesting at the time of the tsunami – Bonin petrels, a species that nests in burrows, the endangered Short-tailed Albatross (1 pair), Laysan Albatross (482,909 pairs), and Black-footed Albatross (28,581 pairs).
Wildlife losses at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge also include at least 2000 adult birds. Wisdom, a 60-year-old albatross that recently hatched her 35th chick survived the tsunami partly due to the elevation of her nest. Due to the Bonin petrels’ behavior of nesting underground it is hard for biologists to confirm the number of casualties. The Refuge is also important habitat for the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal, the threatened Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, and a translocated population of the endangered Laysan Duck. Three Green Sea Turtles were found washed onto the interior of Eastern Island and were returned alive to the sea. Biologists are confident that, absent any other stressors, the Hawaiian wildlife population can rebound from this event. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Hawaiian Birds and Short-tailed Albatross
The Short-tailed Albatross is a large rare seabird from the North Pacific. With a wingspan between seven and twelve feet, and a weight up to twenty-five pounds, the Short-tailed Albatross is the largest albatross in the North Pacific. Its plumage as an adult is overall white with black flight feathers, and a black terminal bar on its tail. Contrary to its name, its tail is no shorter than that of the Laysan or Black-footed Albatross. It has a golden nape and crown, and a large pink bill (which later turns bluish at the tip). Juveniles start as an all-over brown colour, and whiten as they mature sometime after ten years. The average life span is up to 45 years or more.
Short-tailed Albatrosses (Phoebastria albatrus) presently nest on only two islands in Japan. They begin breeding after about seven years, and mate for life. Pairs lay a single egg each year in October or November, which hatches in late December through early January. Chicks remain near the nest for about 5 months, fledging in June.
During non-breeding season they forage widely across the North Pacific, and in Hawaii they are currently only found on Midway Atoll. Their long, narrow wings are adapted to soaring low over the ocean, and when feeding, alight on the ocean surface seizing their prey, including squid, fish, and shrimp. The Short-tailed Albatross was once common, but trading of its feathers brought it to the edge of extinction. The world population is currently estimated to be about 1200 birds and is increasing.
Papahanaumokuakea and Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll (Pihemanu) is a circular-shaped atoll in Papahanaumokuakea with three small islets – Sand, Eastern, and Spit. The land area is about 1,535 acres, and the reef is around 85,900 acres. Captain N.C. Brooks, of the ship Gambia, landed on Midway in 1859. Other visitors included the castaway crews of several large sailing vessels who built huts on the island and awaited rescue by passing vessels. More visitors made their way to Midway during the late 1800′s to collect feathers and eggs.
Its geographical position midway between San Francisco and Japan made the island a critical link in cable communications in the early 1900′s, and later a plane stop. Work began on a military facility at Midway in March 1940, and during World War II it served as an important naval air station and submarine base. The atoll was attacked on December 7th 1941, and again during the Battle of Midway on June 4th – 6th 1942, considered as the watershed moment in the tide of the Pacific War.
Nearly two million birds of nineteen different species nest on Midway including Laysan Albatross (largest colony in the world), Black-footed Albatross, Red-tailed Tropicbirds, White Terns, Black and Brown Noddies, Shearwaters, Bonin Petrels, Bristle-thighed Curlews, Ruddy Turnstones, and the endangered Short-tailed Albatross.
The waters abound with Spinner Dolphins, Hawaiian Monk Seals, Green Sea Turtles, and more than 250 species of fish including Hawaiian Grouper (Hapu`upu`u), Jack (Ulua), Goatfish (Kumu), Bluestripe Snapper (Ta’ape), and sharks. Midway Atoll is the second most northern atoll in the world and lies near the northern limit of coral growth. Sixteen species of stony coral have been reported, as well as several algaes, seagrass, urchins, bi-valve clams, and sponges.
Prior to human settlement, Midway’s islands consisted primarily of large sand dunes and a small variety of native plants, which included beach naupaka, native bunch grass, and beach morning glory. Three-fourths of Midway’s plant species were introductions, including weeds, ornamental shrubs, exotic vegetables, coconut palms, and ironwood. Major efforts are underway to control alien species and restore native habitats.
