Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

Boating , Captain Edmund Fanning , Hawaii , manta rays , Pacific Ocean , Palmyra Atoll , Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge , sturgeons , William McKinley

Welcome to Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge located roughly 1,000 miles southwest of Honolulu. This refuge helps protect one of the world's most diverse coral reef systems and is the only undeveloped wet atoll remaining in the tropical Pacific. Refuge

 

History: Palmyra Atoll has a long and colorful history. She was first sited by Captain Edmond Fanning on June 14, 1798 and was officially discovered by Palmyra Ship Captain Sawle, an American, in 1802. In 1859, Dr. G.P. Judd took possession of the atoll for the American Guano Company and the United States. In 1862, King Kamehameha claimed possession of the Hawaiian Kingdom and in 1889 the United Kingdom claimed the atoll. Finally, in 1898, a century after she was first sited, President William McKinley annexed the Hawaiian territory including the Palmyra Atoll to the United States.

 

Wildlife: This corner of the planet roughly 350 miles north of the equator is the site where the trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres meet. When these winds meet it creates a phenomenon known as doldrums;light winds and lots of rain (up to 175 inches per year) These weather conditions helped to create a globally unique habitat of a rare tropical forest known as Pisonia Beach forest. Some of the trees tower over 100 feet in height. Over 29 bird species have been identified at Palmyra Atoll including the endangered bristle-thighed Curlew which rests here after flying 4,000 miles from Alaska on it's way to Polynesia. The rare coconut crab, the world's largest land invertebrate, also makes it's home at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. These crabs can live for up to a half century in age and grow to over two and a half feet in diameter. Green turtles, monk seals, and dolphins also are found here. Some of the many fish who swim these waters include tuna, goat-fish, sturgeons, snappers, manta-rays, and many others. Please treat their home with respect.

 

The refuge is currently closed to the public but there are plans to open her up for recreational purposes.