Forbidden Island: There & back again

For the second time this month, I found myself taking some friends (no Hobbits) to Forbidden Island. Rosita wanted to show JP and her cousin, Lino the hidden pool there, and asked if I could lead hike. I asked Laurina and DJ to come and join us, since I haven’t taken them along in an excursion for quite some time now.

The hike almost got cancelled because the day started out quite rainy and there was some worry about the hike being too muddy. I was glad that I was able to convince the group that we can go slowly and that getting dirty on the hike was part of the fun anyway.

Rosita looked a little worried about the muddy trail.

Good thing she had her trusty walking stick! You have to go cut through some sword grass in the sabana to get to the islet.
Happy hikers: Rosita and Laurina
Then you go through a bit of secondary forest. It was pretty muddy and slippery. I thought for a second that maybe I shouldn't be so gung ho or determined the next time it's this rainy.

The hike was nice since the sun wasn’t too intense but we did need to be careful not to slip on the muddy ground. We had to make a few stops just to scrub the mud off the soles of our shoes on roots and rocks along the way. The trail was slowly getting overgrown by the foliage again. Time to bring a machete! DJ actually did most of the leading since this is his fourth time on the hike. I was glad to be at the back this time around, taking my time to look at things and to take a few pictures.

The pretty and fragrant Sumac or Aidia cochinchinnsis

Wild passionfuit or Passiflora suberosa
Dizzying heights

Can you see the fringing reefs? There she is!
There was enough walking sticks picked up on the trail between Laurina and Rosita for an entire cadre of hikers.

Looks quite treacherous!

Easy! Carefull!

Plenty rocks, nei!
Pretty sandstones in the dirt
Our constant seashore companion: Princess Naupaka, the Half-flower.

You can see two types of Screw Pines here: Pandanus tectorius in the foreground with the slimmer, longer leaves, and P. dubious in the background with the wider, shorter leaves. The Chamorros call these Kafu and Pahong respectively. There will be a quiz later.
Lantana camara or Wild sage. It is a pretty flowering shrub with an interesting odor.
We found some Dodder or what the Hawaiians call Kauna'oa growing in the sabana or grassland
Can you see the small white flowers of this parasitic plant?
I blogged earlier about the Hawaiian island of Lanai's official lei made of orange Kauna'oa

I made DJ a quick mwarmwar with Kauna'oa and Lantana .

I asked him to look like a matao: a Chamorro chieftain.

We made it! Laurina, JP, DJ, Lino and Rosita.

JP on location
Nice outcropping where you can see different layers of earth
I see you!

A Polished nerite (Nerita polita)

Some Plicate nerite (Nerita plicata).

These shells are bright yellow inside and can crawl pretty fast.

Are you all ready to go to the hidden pool?

Looking straight down to the opening of the cave

Lino squeezing in the narrow passage

C'mon, Rosita! I'll catch you if you fall!
JP, the avid photographer

The last time I was at the pool, I was a bit disappointed because the water was so low. We trekked out at about 2 P.M. thinking that the high tide would be upon us in an hour to insure enough water in the pool. Man, I’ve never seen that pool so low! It looks like the surf affects how much water there is more so than the tide itself. Oh, well. DJ and I jumped in the stagnant water anyway, and shared the time with the a few flagtail fishes and a lone sea cucumber.

An hour or two later, it was time to climb back out

Tanke Beach, Kagman

After Forbidden Island, I wanted to see Tanke Beach to maximize our time in Kagman. It gave DJ, Lauire and I the perfect opportunity to beachcomb a little for some neat critters. There are usually lots of marine debris on this beach since it faces the Pacific Ocean in the east. All sorts of trash washes up here from all over the Pacfic Rim.
Here's a curious sole with oysters growing in the little spaces or pockets.

A closer look after carefully taking out a few reveals some Isognomonidae, or Tree oysters. The beautiful inside is nacreous or pearly. The ancient Chamorros fashioned fish hooks out of these shells.

Plenty trash, nei!

A little hermit crab in a nice Fine-net Peristernia (Peristernia nassatula)

There are enough signs at Tanke Beach saying that it is a Marine Protected Area, yet we saw this guy obviously fishing there.

Goose barnacles (Lepas sp.) that were still alive attached to an old water jug.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Bring My Heart to the Sea

I usually can't pass up an opportunity to go on a hike nor a chance to show off Saipan to our visitors. So when Chrissie, Devon and Lindsey asked me if I could give them directions to Forbidden Island, I had to ask, “Who, when and what time are you going?” The ladies are visiting our islands for a few weeks working with the local health department as part of their Master’s and Doctorate Programs.

Chrissie, Devon and Lindsey at the top of the hike.

Their schedule worked for me since I usually immerse myself in nature on Saturday’s after church anyway and it matched their request to venture out when the sun wasn’t so intense. It turned out to be an overcast day too which spared us a couple of digits temperature wise.

A view of the fringing reef.

The islet known by the name Forbidden.

Not only is Forbidden Island a scary name, but this sign gives a clear warning why care needs to be taken at this site. I always advise visitors to go with a guide that is familiar with the place. This area is full of Scaevola sericea, shrubs commonly known as Half-flowers.

The hidden pool.

The tide was very low even inside the hidden pool. We were actually able to stand on the bottom of the pool because it was so low! Luckily, the swimming area at the end of the beach was calm and deep enough for us to enjoy. We jumped in, cooled off, saw a few crabs and Abudefdufs (Sargeant major damselfish), and traded stories on stonefish.

Chrissie is Hawaiian and spent some in the Marshall Islands last year teaching. We shared some Hawaiian plant lore and I will share with you now one of my favorites, the famous story of:

The Naupaka

In the time of the ancients, there was a beautiful Hawaiian princess named, Naupaka. The villagers started noticing that their princess was often very sad. They approached her parents, who then asked Naupaka why she was troubled."

I have fallen in love with Kaui," the princess said. "But Kaui is not of noble birth. He is a fisherman; a commoner." In Hawaiian tradition, it was strictly forbidden for those of royal lineage to marry a commoner. Hearing this broke her parents’ hearts.

Together, Naupaka and Kaui climbed up a high mountain to see a wise kahuna (chief) to seek his advice. The wise kahuna lived in a heiau (temple) on top of the mountain but his wisdom failed him this time as there was no clear answer for the young lovers. His only advice for them was for them to offer prayers at the heiau.

As the young lovers prayed, rain began to fall reflecting the sorrow that was in their hearts. They knew the answer then. It seemed that their gods will never allow them to be together. Broken hearted, Naupaka and Kaui embraced for the last time to say good bye. Naupaka took a flower from her ear and tore it in half and gave the other half to Kaui. Naupaka said, “I will leave you here in the mountains, while I go back to our people by the sea."

Soon curious plants started growing in the mountains. When the plants finally started to bloom, they only put forth half flowers. Even more curious, similar plants that also bloomed in only half flowers also started growing by the sea.

Beach Naupaka

The Hawaiian people named these flowers Naupaka after their princess who was banished to the sea forever separated from her lover who was banished to the mountains. It is said that to bring together a Mountain Naupaka and a Beach Naupaka is to reunite the two lovers.

Aside from this version of the legend, the Beach Naupaka (Scaevola sericea) also known as Naupaka Kahakai (literally Naupaka by the sea), is one of the most common beach plants in tropical and subtropical Pacific and Indian Ocean coasts. In Chamorro, it is called Nanaso. The shrubs typically have large leaves. Their small half flowers are white with purplish streaks and bloom in clusters. The fruits are white and the juice can be squeezed into the eyes to relieve soreness. The young leaves are cooked and eaten in India as a vegetable.

Mountain Naupaka

In Hawaii, there are nine different species of Naupaka, and six of them are endemic and only found there. The Naupaka Kaahiwi or Mountain Naupaka is one of them. I've been told that it differs from the Beach Naupaka in that it has a mild sweet fragrance which the beach Naupaka lacks. Its leaves are also pointed and serrated.

To me, the legend of the Naupaka is a reminder that sometimes, to be with the one that you love is just as difficult as uniting the mountain with the sea. Or at times, love may never bloom completely.

Ti napu,

The Beachcomber

(I didn't have my camera with me that day so thank you Chrissie for you and the girls' photos! Also I need to give photo credits for the Mountain Naupaka to Forest & Kim Starr (USGS) and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for the Beach Naupaka).