Midway Island was the site of a key battle in World War II that turned the course of the war in the Pacific. Since then, this sleepy outpost in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands has hosted mainly critters and a small contingent of biologists. A few tourists managed to sneak through on chartered vacations. Between 1996 and 2002 Midway Atoll was open for business although that only meant a handful of regular flights in and out. Since then, the traffic has mainly come from the exceedingly rare cruise ship ferrying WW II buffs. Thankfully, it looks like the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will shortly reopen Midway on a wider basis to visitors. Why go to this speck of an island in the middle of nowhere -- hours by plane from Oahu and days by boat - where there are no hotels, no spas, no nightlife and no restaurants? Precisely.

The waters surrounding Midway are filled with some of the healthiest and most varied marine life and coral reefs anywhere. Midway is part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Island Marine National Monument (which was one of the more surprising creations of current prez W.), the largest protected area in the country and largest marine preserve in the world. The endangered Hawaiian monk seal and Laysan duck, green sea turtles, all manner of sharks and huge schools of colorful reef fish are just a few of the 7,000 species calling the NWHI home. Though most Hawaii visitors – and even residents – don’t know a whole lot right now about the monument, its distinctive proportions and attributes haven’t gone unnoticed, as “Good Morning America” and “USA Today” together recently designated it as one of the seven New Wonders of the World.

While there are currently no organized recreational visits or activities at the monument, the three governmental agencies that co-manage it this month released an interim plan that will provide for visits as early as mid-2007. These visits will be limited to Midway Atoll – one of the largest islands in the NWHI chain – which includes both the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and the Battle of Midway National Memorial. For now, activities will include snorkeling, kayaking, walking tours and visits to the historic military sites that include several from the Battle of Midway, the pivotal WWII naval conflict.

Permits will be required for all guests. Most will fly by charter to Midway, though some may, with permission, arrive instead by private sailboat or on the few cruise liners that stop there each year. Here's a complete story on exploring this new water world. General information on the monument can also be found at this NOAA Website.

Fish & Wildlife Service Midway Page / 808-792-9531

Image of Midway Atoll as Seen from Space via Wikipedia

—, 12/18/06