DLNR News Release-Albatross Thriving at 40-Year-Old Ka’ena Point Natural Area Reserve

Posted on Jun 25, 2023 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

(HONOLULU) – Four decades ago, had you visited Ka‘ena Point at the northwestern-most tip of O‘ahu, you would have experienced a landscape of battered vegetation, with dirt roads crisscrossing the entire area.

“When it was first designated as a Natural Area Reserve (NAR) in 1983, there were no seabirds here and the remaining vegetation was being destroyed by off-road vehicles. People were driving all over the place. It was recognized as a special place and so vehicles were blocked from entering and little by little, as we did ecosystem restoration, the birds came back,” explained DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) O‘ahu Branch Manager Marigold Zoll.

Boy did they return. An estimated 30,000 seabirds nest within the Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve each year.

Dr. Lindsay Young, director of Pacific Rim Conservation, has worked with Laysan albatross nesting at the NAR for more than twenty years. “It’s often called the last coastal dune ecosystem in Hawai‘i. It’s the first restored one certainly and that’s an important point to make because before it was a free-for-all. The place was kind of destroyed,” Young said. She says it’s truly remarkable what can happen in a 20- to 30-year period.

This season 98 albatrosses had nests at Ka‘ena Point, which is the second-highest number ever. Young added, “We have relatively high fledging success, high hatching success and very little predation from rats, cats, and mongooses, because of the predator exclusion fence that’s been in place for 12 years. It’s one of the few high-island albatross colonies in the world and that’s super-important for the long-term persistence of the species.”

While thousands of wedge-tail shearwaters burrow underground and out of sight, adult and juvenile albatrosses provide constant entertainment for visitors. They are the longest-lived birds in the world and have wing spans of six to seven feet. On land, they waddle around, but when they take off, they gracefully sail on the winds over thousands of miles of open ocean and for as long as two years at a time.

Young said, “We tend to become attached to larger animals that we perceive to be more like us. These are large birds, and they live 60 to 70 years, much like people. They have a breeding system that’s very similar to ours, so generally monogamous. On top of it, they’re stunningly beautiful and really interesting. I think a lot of those features draw people to them.”

Another big attraction at the Ka‘ena Point Natural Reserve, and the adjoining Ka‘ena Point State Park, are Hawaiian monk seals. Recently several mom and pup pairs have been seen lounging on the point’s beaches.

In 40 years, with a lot of hard work, dedication and passion, Ka‘ena Point has been restored to one of the last wild places on otherwise mostly urbanized O‘ahu. It is the only protected area in the world where you can walk unescorted on a trail next to nesting albatrosses.

Zoll added, “We want people to enjoy these special places firsthand but with that privilege comes a responsibility to exercise restraint and use responsible wildlife viewing practices when around these wild animals, for their and yours.”

Young concluded, “It is unique in that people can see these amazing birds up close. This year we had a bird that nested right next to the trail and the chick’s favorite spot was right in the middle of the trail, so we do have ‘ambassador’ birds that interact with everybody.”

Tomorrow, (Monday, June 26) during the 9:00 a.m. hour of The Today Show on NBC, Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve and its wildlife will be featured in a special segment.

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RESOURCES

(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

HD video – Social short: Flight Training at Ka‘ena Point:

https://vimeo.com/837434854

HD video – Ka‘ena Point albatross and NBC production media clips (June 13, 2023):

https://vimeo.com/836245625

(Shot sheet attached)

HD video – Dr. Lindsay Young-Pacific Rim Conservation interview (June 19, 2023):

https://vimeo.com/837751657

(Transcription attached)

HD video – Hawaiian monk seals at Ka‘ena Point (May 27, 2023):