World Heritage Site

I didn't tell you the news last weekend. Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a mixed cultural and natural site due to the cultural significance to the native Hawaiians and to the amazing and unique natural aspects of the monument. If you want to read more about World Heritage Sites, here is the link http://whc.unesco.org/ It won't change what we do here but at least it is recognized as "having outstanding universal value" by the World Heritage Committee.

The NOAA ship Oscar Elton Sette stopped by again. It dropped off a few things for the seal crew and the shark crew and brought some food, mail, and supplies for the volunteers and me. Dasha (my wife and a wonderful volunteer) left on the Sette so she can get to work at her real job and use that Ph.D. that she got in Pharmacology. She'll be working in Washington D.C. so all of you from there, make sure to say "Hi" when you see her.

Earlier today we took a swim off the end of the island. This is Keith, Tiphanie, Mark, and Pablo jumping in.

Here was almost all of the Tern population (Carlos and Tiphanie were on Trig Island) on Friday. From L to R, Keith, Pete, Pablo, Dasha, Shawn, Sarah, Mark, Phillip, and Darren.

Sarah and Phillip are squaring away the marine debris that we picked up off of East Island on Saturday. The seal crew had to save a turtle last week from some of the wires that are all over the island from Coast Guard and Navy days. So it was a good time to go get a bunch of wire as well as a few nets and ropes that had washed up.

East Island looks really barren right now. The turtles have dug up most of the weeds. The seeds will sprout sometime soon though.

This seal is one that we call "Channel Sleeper" because he's always out sleeping in the channel behind Tern. Every now and then he comes over to see what we're doing while snorkeling. He is 21 years old, which is getting up there for monk seals, but he should have 5 or 6 good years left in him.

Here he is again, I just liked the silhouette.

Here's another random fish picture. This is an arc-eye hawkfish. They always sit in the coral like this. I just noticed that I didn't put up any birds pics this week. Don't worry, you'll get some more soon.