MAY 2006

YOU NEVER FORGET THE FIRST TIME…

After spending six months surrounded by snow and stung by the wind-chill of a Rocky Mountain winter the allure of the tropics is undeniable. As we arrive at the airport in Denver the chill is still there on an unseasonably cold day in the flatlands. The air conditioning of the plane keeps our bones from thawing and we try to remember what it was like the last time we were really warm. Even transferring planes in LA fails to relax us; the artificial coolness in the terminal must feel good to the locals.

Nearly eight hours on the plane and our muscles seem unusually stressed as if on the brink of shivering. The plane again is air conditioned for warm climate folks who live their lives chasing the coolness. We are beginning to feel a little worn, and then out the porthole we get our first glimpse of Haleakala, the volcano that formed the eastern half of Maui, so lush and green rising from the deep blue of the Pacific. It’s bigger than we ever imagined, climbing abruptly from the foam of the waves crashing on the rocks and suddenly piercing the clouds that are nowhere else in the sky except as a halo around the “house of the sun”. This is definitely not Kansas, or the snow covered peaks we left behind.

We circle around between the two peaks that make up Maui and as we come in for our final approach we spot a whale so clear under the brilliant tropical water. Then as if to say “aloha” he pulls off a full breach, completely out of the water, finishing with a spectacular splash. My heart is racing and my wife is out of her seat with excitement. As our plane comes down on the tarmac the vast fields of sugar cane stretching to the slopes of Haleakala seem to dance the hula in further welcome.

Stepping through door of the plane the heat and humidity hits us like a blast furnace and momentarily takes our breath away. Within a few seconds that warmth we have been seeking takes over and a sense of relaxation and tranquility is spreading through our bodies. As we quickly forget the stress we sought to leave behind we find our senses begin to grab our attention. First the smell of fresh flower leis hit our olfactory, and then the variety of colors and the beauty of the traditional Hawaiian greeting amaze us. We notice we can almost taste the sea as the salt air becomes apparent. Finally the noise from an unbelievable number of birds touches us with the song of the tropics. That is the first thing I miss when I get back home; waking up that first morning in my own bed and not being greeted by thousands of birds celebrating the sunrise. Somehow the barking dogs and the neighbors’ cars starting is just not the same as a Maui beginning to the day.

You never forget your first trip to Hawaii. It stays in your mind, your heart and captures your soul. You will always feel that connection for having lived the dream you have held for so long. To have experienced a place so unique and out of the ordinary of your daily existence means you’ll never regret the trip or wish you had spent the time and money otherwise.

*TRAVEL TIPS…End of Reefs? a new story will be her 5-10

A new study just released indicates that Caribbean coral is dying at a previously unforeseen rate. A combination of warm waters and disease has killed about one-third of the coral in monitored areas. Many of these colonies have been around for a millennium and will not grow back in your great grandchildren’s lifetimes.

Did you know that just in fairly recent times twenty-five percent of the world’s coral reefs have died? Estimates are that by 2010 forty percent of the earth’s reefs will be gone. In some places, like the Indian Ocean, over eighty percent of the reefs have experienced problems and are in danger. At our current pace Equatorial reefs will be gone before you and I are done traveling. The process of global warming and the increase in El Nino currents are mostly to blame. Additionally, things like over fishing, dynamiting and siltation from deforestation are extracting a toll. In the Philippines siltation caused by deforestation has killed one-third of the coral. Over-growth of algae also chokes coral. Reduction of fish populations that feed on the algae and pollution, which stimulates algae growth, are the culprits here.

The balance that keeps reefs alive and growing is a delicate one to be sure. Coral polyps, the individual coral animals, live in harmony with one-celled partners, zooxanthellae. Living within the coral’s tissue, the colorful and plantlike zooxanthellae exchange food for shelter, they process sunlight to manufacture 95% of the energy the corals need to survive and build their white limestone skeletons. When ocean temperatures rise, even slightly, the zooxanthellae are expelled and the corals lose their color and their sunscreen. This phenomenon is called bleaching. Once ocean temperatures return to normal some bleached corals recover their zooxanthellae, their color and their health, others die. Many of the surviving corals will not breed for years after bleaching. Bleached corals also lose their resistance to diseases such as black band and white plague. Unstressed corals seem to be recovering nicely from the ’97 El Nino. Corals that have additional pressures like siltation and pollution are not. Since 1996 the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has lost more than one-third of its living coral cover.

Coral has been forming reefs around the world for 200,000,000 years. They provide an unbelievable array of biological diversity. An acre of reef in Southeast Asia may hold as many varieties of fish as there are North American bird species. Estimates say there are as many as 1 to 3 million marine species living in the world’s reefs, possibly more than the number of species in the tropical rain forests. The demise of coral triggers a domino effect as fish that feed or take shelter from the reefs also decline. Next go are the larger fish species, then the fishing and tourism economies. The Great Barrier Reef generates over $1 billion annually from tourism. One quarter of the fish people consume in developing nations come from reefs. Worldwide, reefs are estimated to generate $375 billion to the economy. This is probably a conservative estimate. Letting them slip into extinction would be very short sighted indeed.

On the plus side growing public awareness is translating into increased conservation efforts. With the recognition that the problem does not stop at national boarders the cooperative efforts are spreading worldwide. As US conservation programs increase, so does assistance to international programs. Local communities have shown a willingness to step up when given the information about the problems and the tools to deal with them. The cataloguing and sharing of data has also helped. The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, releases bi-annual reports on the status and threats to the world’s reefs. The 2004 report focuses closely on the relationship between human activities and diseases affecting reefs. To view the 2004 report: The Status of Coral Reefs of The World, go to www.GCRMN.Org.

For those who wish to help stop the decline please check out Project Aware Foundation. They are doing their part to get the word out. Without greater public participation the fight is lost already. Go to their site: www.LivingReef.org to learn more and see how you can help. If you haven’t yet been to the tropics and snorkeled or SCUBA’ed on a reef we hope you will help so you will get the chance to witness the magnificence. If you have visited a reef I need say no more.

Contact Me if you need further tips on where to stay, eat or play.