French Frigate Shoals
The French Frigate Shoals is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Its name commemorates French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, who nearly lost two frigates when attempting to navigate the shoals. It consists of a 20-mile long crescent-shaped reef, twelve sandb…
Full Answer
Can you visit the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands?
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Refuge includes the waters extending three miles seaward of any coastline from Nihoa Island to Kure Atoll, excluding Midway Atoll. Entry into the refuge is prohibited without a permit.
Does anyone live on French Frigate Shoals?
Still, about 16 percent of the entire population lives at French Frigate Shoals, and about 30 percent of those that live there had their pups on East Island, making it an important breeding site, Littnan said. Roughly 1,100 of the entire population of 1,400 Hawaiian monk seals live in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Can you visit papahānaumokuākea?
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is one of the largest protected areas in the world and includes ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Access is limited, and it is still recovering from overfishing, but there are many other superb places in the world to dive with marine life.
Can you visit lisianski island?
Visitors can stroll among millions of seabirds and various historic sites on Midway Atoll, or encounter monk seals and green sea turtles basking along the shores of Lisianski and Laysan islands.
Who owns the French Frigate Shoals?
U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceFrench Frigate Shoals AirportAirport typePrivateOwnerU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceServesTern Island (Hawaii)Elevation AMSL6 ft / 2 m9 more rows
What happened to French Frigate Shoals?
These islands suffered considerably from erosion starting in the 1960s, and by the late 1990s, Whale-Skate Island was completely washed over. The reef system at French Frigate Shoals supports 41 species of stony corals, including several species that are not found in the main Hawaiian Island chain.
Can you visit Midway Island today?
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial is currently closed to public visitation.
How do you say papahānaumokuākea?
The name Papahānaumokuākea (pronounced Pa-pa-hah-now-mo-koo-ah-keh-ah) comes from an ancient Hawaiian tradition concerning the genealogy and formation of the Hawaiian Islands, and a deep honoring of the dualisms of life.
Can you visit Tern island?
In late spring and early summer nesting birds including piping plovers, American oystercatchers, and least terns can be observed. A short boat shuttle over to the island and little walking also make it a great destination!
Do people live in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands?
These and many other small islands, reefs, shoals and atolls are called the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, or the Leeward Islands. Spanning more than 1,200 miles (1,931 km) in the Pacific Ocean, all of them are uninhabited, little known and rarely visited (except for a few researchers who do their work there).
How old is lisianski Island?
About 20 million years agoAbout 20 million years ago, geologic forces raised the tip of a huge coral bank above sea level. Today, Lisianski Island is 1.5 square kilometers (381 acres), about the size of Honolulu.
Who owns Tern Island?
Since 1936, the roughly three-and-a-half-acre island has been owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society, held for conservation and wildlife habitat. Originally the remnant of a sand spit a century ago, Tern Island is larger today than in the past.
How old is La Perouse Pinnacle?
twelve million year oldLa Pérouse Pinnacle at French Frigate Shoals is a basalt rock outcrop rising 122 feet from the lagoon. It is a remnant of the twelve million year old volcano that once rose far above the ocean's surface.
What island chain is French Frigate Shoals a part of?
the Northwestern Hawaiian IslandsThe French Frigate Shoals is part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), a chain of atolls and small islands northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands, which are home to approximately 13,000 square kilometres of coral reefs (about 70 percent of all coral reefs found in U.S. waters) and to the threatened green sea ...
How old is Laysan Island?
The home of over 5 million breeding seabirds, Laysan Island is an uninhabited Hawaiian atoll formed from coral deposits atop a 20 million-year-old submerged volcano.
What are the features of French frigate shoals?
French Frigate Shoals exhibits the classic features of a well-developed coral atoll. The coral growth is atop an eroded volcano, which has been submerged for millions of years. A steep-sided basalt pinnacle juts out of the water in the center of the atoll. This unique rock formation is the last remnant of the original volcano. The pinnacle was named "La Pérouse Pinnacle" after Compte de La Pérouse, who visited the atoll in 1786. In the moonlight the pinnacle so resembled a full-rigged sailing ship that it lured more than one vessel to her doom on the shoals as Captains investigated the unidentified companion.
How many species of stony coral are there in the NWHI?
The reef system associated with French Frigate Shoals supports the greatest variety of coral species in the NWHI with forty one species of stony corals documented. These include table, finger, and lobe corals.
Where do monk seals go to feed?
Some of these turtles travel northwest to feed, while others travel as far south as Johnston Atoll. The many small islets of French Frigate Shoals provide refuge to the largest sub-population of endangered Hawaiian monk seals. Preserving this atoll is critical to their survival.
What is a chevron butterflyfish?
The chevron butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifascialis), which feeds exclusively on polyps of Acropora corals, is like wise absent in the MHI but common at FFS. It also supports more than 600 species of invertebrates such as sponges, coral worms, snails, lobsters, crabs, shrimps and clams, oysters, sea urchins, and sea stars.
How big is the French frigate?
While the land area is only 1⁄4 square kilometer (67 acres), the total coral reef area of the shoals is over 938 square kilometers (232,000 acres).
Where do green sea turtles live?
Hundreds of green sea turtles inhabit French Frigate Shoals. Over 90% of the threatened Hawaiian population of green sea turtles travel to the shoals for safe nesting. Satellite tagging of these turtles indicates that most of them migrate to the Main Hawaiian Islands to feed and reach sexual maturity before returning to French Frigate Shoals to breed. Some of these turtles travel northwest to feed, while others travel as far south as Johnston Atoll.
What are the species of algae that live in the reefs?
More than 150 species of algae live among the reefs, including red, green and brown algae. Especially diverse and lush algal communities are found immediately adjacent to La Perouse Pinnacle, leading phycologists (algae scientists) to speculate that influx of additional nutrients in the form of guano are responsible for the high algal productivity in this habitat.The outer reef waters support gray reef sharks, butterfly fish, and large schools of jacks and groupers. Endemic masked angelfish ( Genicanthus personatus) are occasionally seen here at scuba diving depths. In the Main Hawaiian Islands, they are rarely seen shallower than 300 feet.
History
Although there is no evidence of extensive human activity or presence in the area, the earliest human visitors to French Frigate Shoals probably came from the larger Hawaiian Islands, which were settled by Polynesians between 1100 and 1300 AD.
Geology and ecology
La Perouse Pinnacle, a rock outcrop in the center of the atoll, is the oldest and most remote volcanic rock in the Hawaiian chain. La Perouse Pinnacle stands 120 feet (37 m) tall and is surrounded by spectacular coral reefs. Because of its peculiar shape, the pinnacle is often mistaken for a ship from a distance. [citation needed]
What was the name of the airfield in Pearl Harbor?
The Navy designated this airfield as Naval Air Facility French Frigate Shoals , an auxiliary of Naval Station Pearl Harbor. The 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake generated a tsunami that swept clean Tern Island, and the Navy closed the naval air facility. During WW2 reconnaissance flights were flown from the base each day.
What airport is HFS?
airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, this airport is assigned HFS by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA (which assigned HFS to Hagfors Airport in Hagfors, Sweden ). The airfield was completed in 1943 by the Seabees, and used from that time into the 21st century supporting ...
How big was the Aleutian Islands airfield?
Of the 27-acre (11 ha) area of the expanded island, the airfield took up 20 acres (8.1 ha). The Navy designated this airfield as Naval Air Facility French Frigate Shoals, an auxiliary of Naval Station Pearl Harbor. The 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake generated a tsunami that swept clean Tern Island, and the Navy closed the naval air facility.
Why did aircraft land at the airstrip during WW2?
Many aircraft had to land at the airstrip during WW2 such a need for fuel, mechanical issues, or bad weather. : Types of aircraft that landed at the base during the war include:
What was the purpose of the airstrip during WW2?
During WW2 the airstrip provided an emergency landing for various aircraft, including a twin-engine transport aircraft that was close to ditching in the ocean with over 30 passengers but was able to land safely at the airport.
Where is French Frigate Shoals?
French Frigate Shoals Airport ( ICAO: PHHF, FAA LID: HFS) is a private use airport on Tern Island in French Frigate Shoals, a coral atoll, in Hawaii, United States. It is owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as part of the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge .
How many engines did the Curtis Commando lose?
During WW2 reconnaissance flights were flown from the base each day. In 1944, a Curtis Commando with over 30 marines lost one engine, and had to conduct an emergency landing at the airfield. The aircraft was losing altitude with one engine out, and was down to an altitude of about 200 feet when it was near.
Overview
The French Frigate Shoals (Hawaiian: Kānemilohaʻi) is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Its name commemorates French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, who nearly lost two frigates when attempting to navigate the shoals. It consists of a 20-mile-long (32 km) crescent-shaped reef, twelve sandbars, and the 120-foot-high (37 m) La Perouse Pinnacle, the only re…
History
Although there is no evidence of extensive human activity or presence in the area, the earliest human visitors to the French Frigate Shoals probably came from the main Hawaiian Islands, which were settled by Polynesians between 1100 and 1300 AD.
The Hawaiian island chain lay outside the routes followed by early European e…
Geology and ecology
La Perouse Pinnacle, a rock outcrop in the center of the atoll, is the oldest and most remote volcanic rock in the Hawaiian chain. It stands 120 feet (37 m) tall and is surrounded by coral reefs. Because of its shape, the pinnacle is often mistaken for a ship from a distance.
Whale-Skate Island is a submerged island in the French Frigate Shoals. These i…
Islands
Whale-Skate Island, currently a double island, is also listed in the census documents together as a block, with an area of 32,020 m . The shares of the islands are estimated 40% and 60%. 1971 it was reported that Near Island, although recorded on maps, would be submerged at high tide. Bare Island can be seen on satellite images but is not listed in the Census Tract. A 1971 public…
See also
• List of Guano Island claims
• List of reefs
• List of islands
• Desert island
Bibliography
• Grobmeier, Alvin H.; Melman, R. Stan; Rau, William M.; Truebe, Carl E. (1989). "Question 43/87". Warship International. XXVI (1): 90–92. ISSN 0043-0374.
External links
• The French Frigate Shoals Web Page
• Quick Facts on French Frigate Shoals from the PBS Ocean Adventures site