Island Life - Tied to the Water
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Islands Depend on the Water Around Them - It's What Makes Them Islands in the First Place!
After living on an island for 12 years (and having visited many other islands during and since that time), I'm sort of an island fanatic. Once you've lived on an island, you never are the same.
I lived on Guam for 12 years... and from Guam, discovered many of the other islands of the Pacific and the Pacific Rim Countries. At the University of Guam, while getting my biology degree, I learned about Island Biogeography--the fascinating way that islands start to have their own unique, yes, "insular" biology. Plants and animals unique to that particular island. Hawaii has them. Guam has them. And most other islands (no matter where they are, how big they are, or how small they are) also have them. Not only do they have unique plants and animals, if humans live on them, the islands also have their own unique human cultures,customs, foods, and languages.
This Squidoo lens will give you glimpses of some of my experiences with a bunch of different islands!
P.S. ... uh, before anyone has a royal cow, you may notice that all of the islands I'm yakking about here are in the Pacific--namely in the Western and Central Pacific. Even more specifically, in the NORTHERN Pacific... Nope, I never made it to the South Pacific islands (although I'm making plans to head there for some serious studying!). Well, I have to admit, I have gone to at least a few islands in the Atlantic... Rhode Island and Manhattan to name two! (And yes, I'm planning on getting to the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Bermuda as well... --and I've met the former Maltese Ambassador to the United Nations... he was obviously from the Mediterranean island of Malta.) Now... on to the Squidoo lens!
Islands For Decorating or for Fashionable Wear!
When Most Folks Think of Islands, The Small Tropical Kind Comes to Mind. But There Are Other Kinds, Too!
Island inside a lake inside an island inside a lake inside an island--Taal Volcano, Taal Lake, Luzon Island, Philippines.--->I've seen islands in cold areas as well as tropical areas... and yeah, I sort of favor the tropical kind. Yet, the cold area islands have their own unique attractions as well.
One "cold" island I've visited is Hokkaido, Japan. And yes, I visited the island in December... a particularly cold time to be there. Hokkaido receives much of the Siberian winds that blow over the Sea of Okhotsk. This leads to heavy winter snowfall. Likewise, the Alaskan Aleutian Islands would have similar temperatures and environments--although, because these islands are much smaller than Hokkaido, they'd have fewer variations in their diversity of animals and plants.
Islands from the Bay ... eBay, That Is!
Typical Tropical Island View, Inarajan, Guam
Read Up On Islands!
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The Islands of Hawaii!
Aloha!
Okay, ... when you think Hawaii, you probably think of tropical beaches and turquoise water lining glistening beaches. But do you think of snow? The State of Hawaii's big island, named "Hawai'i" is tall enough to have snow. Yup. SNOW. The big island's 14,000-foot summit gets snow from December through May, but most likely in February and March. Most of the time, the snow is patchy and not skiable...and sometimes, when there is enough snow, the winds make it impossible as well. There are no ski-lifts or lodges at the summit--you have to have a 4-wheel drive to get up there to start the ski-run--but, if you get lucky with a beautiful calm "winter" day, the experience is awesome! .... Especially when you can go snorkeling in the afternoon after your ski run!The big island is also famous for its "Kona Coffee"... but you can also get Hawaii-produced coffee on the other islands--such as Kauai (there's a coffee plantation--Kauai Coffee--south of Lihue on the way to the town of Waimea and the Waimea Canyon).
Hawaii also has plenty of volcanic action... and you can see remnants of old volcanic action on all of the islands. Of the five large volcanos that make up the big island of Hawaii, the K%u012Blauea and Mauna Loa are considered active and still produce glowing lava.
The islands have a lot of desert areas as well... for instance, the barren area of Maui's Heleakala--at 10,000 foot altitude is above the "tree-line". You don't find many other plants there... but you'll find the extremely rare silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense macrocephalum) there (this is the only place in the world where they live)!
But other aspects of Hawaii are more commonly recognizable and known!
If you plan on visiting Hawaii, it's good to do some research and study up to create a plan so you can enjoy as many sights and attractions but at the same time appreciate a restful vacation!
Black Lava Meets White Beach and Blue Sea, Kauai, Hawaii
Guam--Where America's Day Begins!
Part of the Micronesian Group of Western Pacific Islands--But an American Territory!
View of Southern Guam from a boat heading across the channel to Cocos Island-------->Although Guam seems to be in the middle of nowhere... it really is in the middle of everywhere!
From Guam, you can reach Japan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and any other locations in the Western Pacific (with either the right airline or ship connections).
Guam has an amazing history... it had been inhabited by islander explorers from the Malaysian/Indo-Pacific area for centuries (2000 B.C.) before it was stumbled on by Magellan as he was exploring the Pacific for the Queen of Spain in 1521. Soon after, Guam became a Spanish territory. Then, after the Spanish-American war in 1898, Guam became a U.S. territory.
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, they were also attacking Guam (and the Philippines) (on December 8, 1941--due to the International Date Line). Guam became a Japanese territory for the duration of the war and was liberated from the Japanese in the World War II battle that started on July 21, 1944 and ended on August 8, 1944.
Guam is now a U.S. Territory and the island is similar to what you'd find in Hawaii as far as most tourist attractions and sightseeing goes. For biologists and scuba divers, however, Guam offers unique animals and plants and an underwater diversity that is unbeatable.
Guam is a "high-island" --the southern end of the island rises as the remnants of the rim of an ancient volcano to heights of 1300 feet. The central and northern part of the island is a flat plateau--the remains of an ancient coral reef. Indentations in the island's shorelines harbor wide coral reef flats--broken only by the outpouring by freshwater streams and rivers heading to the sea.
The jungles of southern Guam are still dense enough to hide in--in 1972, a Japanese straggler (soldier who never surrendered after World War II), named Shoichi Yokoi, was discovered hiding in the boonies. After being captured and taken to the Guam hospital for observation and to allow him to clean up a bit, he returned to Japan, where he wrote a book about his experience and also ran for public office.
I lived on the island for 12 years and share a lot of my Guam Experience in another lens.
Pulling Up on Uninhabited Island in the Archipelago--Ngermeaus Island, Republic of Belau
Republic of Belau -- The Rock Islands of Palau
The Rock Islands of Palau (The Republic of Belau) are a "Jewel of the Pacific"--the diversity of the underwater life here is truly amazing. Scuba divers from around the world flock here to experience the warm and exciting tropical waters. From the largest island in the Republic of Belau archipelago -- Babelthuap, where the airport is -- you travel to the "capital" town of Koror on Koror Island. Attached by a bridge to Koror is Arakebesang. Other islands in the chain include Anguar (site of a nasty World War II battle) and Ngermeaus, a favorite picnic destination. Divers will enjoy Ngemelis cliff, the non-stinging jellyfish lake, and the remains of many leftovers from World War II--including old aircraft, freighters, battleships, troop transports, and submarines. You may be able to take a deep-sea fishing charter from Malakal Harbor on Koror. Some of the fish in this area include Pacific marlin, sailfish, mahimahi, ahi, yellow-fin tuna, blue-fin tuna, dog-tooth tuna, barracuda, wahoo, and sea-bass. Lots of sashimi!The islands are fascinating for land-lubbers as well. The Palauan culture, the food, artistry, and music are thrilling to enjoy!
After I visited these islands for a short vacation, I documented much of my trip with narrative and pictures on a Squidoo lens.
Chuuk -- Formerly Known as Truk
Made Very Famous for a Major Battle During World War II -- Called the "Truk Lagoon Turkey Shoot" in Truk Lagoon
Truk (known as Chuuk in the local language), is a very large atoll in the central Pacific--about 7 degrees north of the equator. The natural harbor the atoll forms with its protective reef that's 140 miles around covers 823 square miles--this was where the Japanese Imperial Fleet was harbored when the U.S. launched an attack during World War II. It was considered one of the most fortified Japanese strongholds in the Pacific, but the very safety of the lagoon also made it a trap for all the ships contained within it--thus, the name of the attack, "The Truk Lagoon Turkey Shoot" (officially called "Operation Hailstone")--by sinking some of the first ships trying to leave the lagoon in the atoll channels, the American attack prevented the other ships from getting out and made them easy targets for the incoming dive bombers. These sunken ships and planes and other artifacts of the war (60 ships and 275 airplanes) make for spectacular dives for SCUBA fanatics--many of the ships (mostly around Dublon, Eten, Fefan, and Uman) are in crystal-clear water less than 15 meters (45 feet) deep... the remains of the World War II have now become habitats for exotic corals, fish, sea turtles, and other marine life.Truk's atoll consists of 11 major islands--Tol, Udot, Fala-Bequets, Romanum, and Eot of the Faichuk group and Moen, Fefan, Dublon, Uman, Param, and Tsis of the Nomoneas Group. There are 46 smaller islands within the lagoon and 41 other islands on the atoll fringing reef. Total land mass of all the islands is less than 50 square miles.
The Islands of the Philippines
"White Beach" on Boracay Island, Aklan Province, in the Visayan Island Group, Philippines------>With an archipelago of over 7100 islands, the Republic of the Philippines has one of the most ecologically diverse environments in the world. The archipelago is divided into three major island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Most of the mountainous islands have volcanic origins and are covered by tropical rain forests. The Philippines' highest mountain is Mount Apo, in Mindanao. This mountain rises 2,954 meters (9,692 ft) above sea level. There are many active volcanos such as the Mayon Volcano in Visayas, and Mount Pinatubo (in Pampanga Province) and Taal Volcano (in Cavite and Batangas Provinces) on Luzon. The islands are within the Western Pacific typhoon belt and get about 19 typhoons per year. The combination of typhoons and volcanos produces a lot of flooding and mudslides when the storms and volcanic ash mix. The Philippines are also on one of the major tectonic plate edges of the Pacific "Ring of Fire"--this results in the island nation being hit by about 20 earthquakes a day. Most are not perceivable, but occasionally a big one rolls through and causes noticable damage.
Afternoon View, White Beach, Boracay Island, Aklan Province, Philippines
Japan - An Island Nation with a Wide Variety of Climates and Geographies!
"Ezo-Fuji" (meaning "Hokkaido Fuji"), Mount Yotei, as seen from the Niseko-Hirafu Ski Resort, with the town of Kutchan at its base in the valley. -------->The island nation of Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands (more than half are small and uninhabited) with the four largest and main islands being Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. These four islands make up 97% of Japan's land area. Most of Japan's islands are volcanic and mountainous. Japan's highest peak is the famous volcano, Mount Fuji. Hokkaido is the northernmost large island and has a temperate climate and long, cold winters. The cold winds whipping over the Sea of Ohkost from Siberia bring the heavy winter snowfalls. On the other extreme, Japan's southernmost Ryukyu Islands, of which Okinawa is the main island, is subtropical--with warm winters and hot, humid summers. The whole archipelago is frequently hit by typhoons during the rainy season of between August through November (although the storms can hit during other times of the year).
Up to 80 percent of Japan is heavily forested and mountainous--and thus those areas are not heavily inhabited or developed because those areas have steep elevations, adverse climates, and high risk of earthquake-generated landslides. Because Japan is on the Pacific Ring of Fire and straddles 3 major tectonic plates, earthquakes are very common with the resulting tsunami danger.
Fishing Village of Otaru on West Coast of Hokkaido, Japan
Hong Kong - The Fragrant Harbor!
The Bustling Hub of Commerce and Trade in Southeast Asia and Gateway to China
Hong Kong has been a port of trade since recorded time in the area--its protected harbor and channel from the mainland (now called "Victoria Harbor") and other harbors around the island provided safety and loading areas for the numerous trading companies bringing in and exporting exotic silks, foods, handicrafts, and incense. In fact, it was the active trade in incense that gave this island its name...in Cantonese, Heung Gung, or "Hong Kong" means "Fragrant Harbor"... named after the scent of the many warehouses storing the incense for shipment to ports around the known world at the time.Now, Hong Kong Harbor (Victoria Harbor) is now considered the busiest port in the world--if not the busiest, at least one of the busiest! But there's more to the island than just shipping. Hong Kong island is mountainous--in that it has a lot of steep inclines. The most famous incline is covered by the Tram to the top of Victoria Peak... now called just "The Peak". The view from this observation point is spectacular--and it has become a very popular tourist attraction.
You can see more information about this interesting place on my Squidoo lens on Hong Kong Island.
Pohnpei -- Home of the Capital of the Federated States of Micronesia
One of the most noticable things about Pohnpei when you land at the airport outside the capital town of Kalonia is the formidable looking Sokehs Rock cliff seen across the runway. This 90-degree angle cliff dramatically rises above the narrow flat areas that border the coral reef-lined beaches on the west side of the island. Pohnpei has a unique ecosystem that has interested scientists and naturalists for many, many years.One of the strangest attractions on the island are the ruins of an ancient civilization--Nan Madol. These structures--akin to the pyramids of Egyptian or Mayan civilizations or the ancient structures of the Incas or perhaps even that of Stonehenge of the British Isles or Hadrian's Wall of northern Britain--are composed of huge basalt pillars, columns, and walls, with channels that meander through their maze-like arrangement. Pohnpeian legends tell of the ancient civilization that built these structures, but not much is known about what that civilization and when and why these structures were abandoned. The locals don't like being caught within the channels or near the structures in the twilight hours or after dark.
There are lots of indigenous and endemic species living on the island... and these make the island unique for study and understanding.
The Atolls of the the Central Pacific - Majuro, Kwajalein, Enewetok, and, of course, Bikini
On final approach to the runway at Majuro (you can see a hint of the runway in the top right of the photo--the straight section) -------> As our plane approached Majuro, we had to strain to see the island, or rather, the narrow string of tiny islands clustered on the ring of a atoll coral reef surrounding a central, protected lagoon. It was hard to imagine that there was a place on the island ring that would be wide enough to accomodate a landing 737. We flew over the runway once (to warn folks to get off the runway--it functioned as a main drag road when not being landed on by the once a day flight), then we circled about and came back in to land.
The tiny concrete building (not much bigger than a U.S. Freeway Rest-stop building) had a sign posted on it that said "Yokwe Yuk-- Welcome to Majuro".
For SCUBA divers, the diving here is quite interesting--the fish and the corals here are unique to this area--the Marshall islands (of which Majuro is one of many atolls in the region) are in the Central Pacific--and far from any other land masses--so the insular ecosystems here have adapted to this particular habitat. Majuro, like the other atolls of the Central Pacific has a maximum altitude above sea level of less than 2 meters (6 feet). So, obviously there is major concern about sea levels rising --and the threat of typhoons and their accompanying storm surge.
The ecosystem on atolls is severely limited. The soil consists of limestone remains of ancient coral reefs... and what grows on any accumulated "land" would be coconut palms, bananas, taro, and perhaps breadfruit.
The Northern Marianas Islands - Saipan, Rota, Tinian, Pagan, Umagan, Maug
Guam is also a part of the Marianas Islands... just different in "jurisdiction" .. (or something like that!)
Beach on East Side of Saipan near Garapan -->Saipan is the main island of the Northern Marianas Commonwealth and is where the capital city is located. Like Guam (and all the islands of the Marianas chain), Saipan rests on the rim of a giant extinct volcano--so not only is much of the island volcanic in origin, but because it lies along the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean, the Marianas Trench, it is subject to lots of earthquakes caused by the plate tectonic action of the Pacific Ring of Fire. This part of the Pacific is also hard-hit by tropical storms and typhoons. But all these issues aside, Saipan and the Northern Marianas Islands are beautiful gems of paradise in the Western Pacific... Great places to vacation and visit--and great places to live!
Taiwan - Formerly Called "Formosa"
Taiwan, the island off the coast of Mainland China and formerly called "Formosa" is a large island with widely varying ecological habitats. The southern end of the island is "sub-tropical" and features pineapple plantations, bananas, coral reefs, and a heavy fishing industry.The northern end of the island is more temperate and has colder winters and cooler summers.Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan and is a bustling metropolis... although the national language spoken and used on Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, the native Taiwanese speak their own languages--depending on which province they are from.
You Want Islands? We've Got 'Em. To Get There, Check Out These Airfares!
Don't Be Insular! Write a Note! (You Don't Have to Put it in a Bottle!)
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JaguarJulie May 12, 2012 @ 7:53 am | delete
- Ah, my dear ... I am thinking that I have now come to a place in my life that I would surely enjoy and appreciate island life. Now, to only find MY Island!
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ArtByLinda Apr 1, 2011 @ 9:14 pm | delete
- Wonderful lens, I would love to explore all of these areas...an island within a lake within an island is so cool. April Fools days Blessing to you!
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vallain Sep 23, 2010 @ 4:05 pm | delete
- A lot to take in at one time. This could almost be a series of lenses featuring each island.
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Hiking-Hong-Kong
Sep 20, 2010 @ 7:57 pm | delete
- Here are some great hiking trails on the Islands of Hong Kong, including Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island & Peng Chau: http://www.squidoo.com/hiking-hong-kong
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