I’m typing this while lying on a double bed in an air
conditioned room at the Charlie Hotel, on a remote atoll midway between California
and Tokyo, appropriately named Midway Atoll. I can hear cockroaches rummaging through
the garbage bin by the sink and thousands of Bonin Petrels calling from outside
my window, as night takes over the street light free neighborhood. I just had
one of those moments when I closed my eyes and wondered how the hell I ended up
out in the middle of nowhere, in a setting as bizarre and unique as this. I
finally made it to the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, a place I’ve also wanted to
visit ever since reading Carl Safina’s Eye of the Albatross. Here is my
synopsis of the first day. 
Boarded a fancy G2 private jet around 7am, and left Honolulu
and the famous Diamond Head behind us as we pierced the clouds. The plane was as
smooth as butter in the air, with two couches facing the aisle and six bucket
seats arranged in a non-traditional pattern towards the back. We were free to
move around the cabin and could help ourselves to the snake bar and drinks (no alcohol
of course). It was awesome to say the least, not sure I will ever fly in such
style again. En route to Midway we followed the Papahanaumokuakea National Monument
and flew over Oahu, Kauai, Nihoa, French Frigate Shoals (my soon to be home), what
we thought was the shallow reef of Brook’s Bank, Laysan Island, Pearl and
Hermes Atoll, and finally landed on the runway of Midway Atoll 2 hours and 45
minutes later. Aside from our ears popping and the blue ocean out the windows it
was hard to notice we were flying 40000 feet up in a jet.
Once we landed hundreds of Brown Noodys and White Terns greeted
us as we taxed to the hanger, where we disembarked and hopped onto limo-sized
golf carts, passing by the power plant, greenhouse, and welcome to Midway sign.
We were given an orientation and our rooms at the Charlie Hotel, and breaked
for lunch. I was so excited to explore the island, but hungry enough to wait
until after eating.
After lunch, the fragmented Tern and complete Laysan team
headed out on a bike tour around the island. We each get our own bike during
our three day stay. The sheer beauty of this place is almost overwhelming.
White Terns flutter around everywhere we look, perched in the trees and lazily
flying in a lofty pattern overhead. Brown Noodys grunted at us as we passed their
adult sized fledglings, occasionally swooping gingerly, although nothing
compared to the aggressive assaults of the Western Gulls on the Farallones.
White-tailed tropic bird chicks were crotched beneath walkways and low
branches, and Great Frigatebirds chased Masked Boobies above the tree line. We
even came upon a few Wedge-tailed Sheartwater chicks still in their downy stage
sitting in the sun at their burrow entrances. In terms of shorebirds, Pacific
Golden Plovers with their handsome yellow tinted heads, Ruddy Turnstones, and
Bristle-thighed Curlews gave out alert calls as we rode past flocks of them on
the roads. We even came across a few Laysan Ducks which were introduced to
Midway from Laysan and seem to be flourishing here. It’s too early for Albatross,
but in a few months the landscape will become overrun with thousands of Laysan,
Black-footed, and if their lucky a few Short-tailed Albatross. The only albatrosses
we’ve seen are the Short-tailed decoys on the hill and many plastic-filled
carcasses of chicks that never made it the fledging. 
We finished the day with a swim in the lagoon, which was slightly
cooler than Oahu but all the more refreshing. The water is so green in the inner
lagoon that the puffy clouds overhead turn turquoise in the reflection. I’ve
never seen anything like it, and it’s only day one. Can’t believe this is going
to be my life for the next 6 months.
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