I forgot to mention something a few weeks ago, since the news happened the night that I left for Honolulu. We have a new manager at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Dan Clark will be in charge out here, and his wife is able to join him. I worked with Dan and Kathy a couple of years ago when he came out on a work detail. We are happy to have them.
The wind finally slowed down for a few days, so we got a chance to go survey the reef. We like to check things out to make sure nothing is amiss out there, so I'll have a few photos other than birds this week. Don't despair, birders, I'll still put up a couple of bird pics.
That little dark line on the horizon is Sand Island (where we live) from the very northern tip of the atoll. It would be even harder to see if it wasn't covered with ironwood trees. It was sunny for the early afternoon, but got cloudy later on. More fish come out of their hiding spots when it's cloudy, so it's not that bad.
This coral is growing very close to the ocean surface. The water is only about 6 inches deep here. It's too shallow to snorkel, but there are channels that are deeper that we can swim through.
The coral in this area is beautiful and healthy. One of the benefits of the cold winter water is that it is much clearer for photos than in the summer when it's warm. There is a lot less micro sea life growing in it now. A wetsuit is a must for most people.
The reflection of the coral on the surface gives a really cool effect.
There are some nice tide pools on the emergent reef.