Submitted by Sarah Hartman on the 2015 winter session program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences…
Happy Friday! The day was spent hiking Ka’ena Point, a pristine wildlife preserve on the westernmost tip of O’ahu that is home to the famed albatross and the endangered monk seal. As we quietly walked along the sand path, we observed lone female albatross keeping their eggs warm and a group of male albatross dancing in what I can only imagine is a mating ritual. They bobbed their heads then tapped the ground then bobbed again and let out sweet cries. It was a beautiful sanctuary for them.
Along the point’s edge, black lava rocks jut out along the Pacific Ocean. Waves gnaw into the porous rock. Along its jagged shore, a collection of white and orange coral sprinkles the ground. Among them, we were delighted to find a single monk seal, enjoying the faint sun of an overcast day. It laboriously lifted its head each time a particularly strong wave crept upon its resting spot. It was a beautiful and majestic creature.
The six mile round trip hike to see an environment splashed in natural beauty was a thought-invoking reminder of why I wanted to come to Hawaii. In places like this, my thirst for knowledge cannot be quenched. My desire to experience and observe is undying. My love for the natural world is overpowering. In this pristine landscape, I have a chance to learn from the native creatures of Hawaii and I am reminded again of how much there is to learn in the world.