Comments due on NWHI Marine National Monument Management Plan

Received an e-mail from Ocean Conservancy. Comments are due on this plan. Ocean Conservancy's page on this can be found here:

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/News2...le&id=11223

Sadly, the form letter they want people to send contains several grammatical errors.

More important than any of the cosmetic errors is the following text from the full plan:

From appendix C, Draft Visitors Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

"Strategy 4.1 Working with Monument Co-Trustees, re-establish an active dive program for visitors on

Midway by May 2011."

I wonder if any WetPixel'ers have dived Midway (it was briefly visitable back in 2001-2002 when there was a sportfishing/diving operator on the island)?

After talking with several dive operators in Hawaii who did get a chance to go dive Midway when it was open, I can only say that I will definitely be putting this on my "places I want to dive" list when it becomes available.

Kendra (from the old Dive Makai on the Big Island) described it as the best Hawaiian Island diving she has ever seen, and what Hawaii waters must have been like 100 years ago.

The Oceanic Society will be running land-based trips (w/the option of 1 snorkel excursion) to Midway starting this winter, and non-tour based travel is supposed to become available in 2010.

Can't wait! (and really hope this won't be another case of the US gov't not following through...)

- Matt

More important than any of the cosmetic errors is the following text from the full plan:

 

From appendix C, Draft Visitors Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

 

"Strategy 4.1 Working with Monument Co-Trustees, re-establish an active dive program for visitors on

Midway by May 2011."

 

I wonder if any WetPixel'ers have dived Midway (it was briefly visitable back in 2001-2002 when there was a sportfishing/diving operator on the island)?

 

After talking with several dive operators in Hawaii who did get a chance to go dive Midway when it was open, I can only say that I will definitely be putting this on my "places I want to dive" list when it becomes available.

 

Kendra (from the old Dive Makai on the Big Island) described it as the best Hawaiian Island diving she has ever seen, and what Hawaii waters must have been like 100 years ago.

 

The Oceanic Society will be running land-based trips (w/the option of 1 snorkel excursion) to Midway starting this winter, and non-tour based travel is supposed to become available in 2010.

 

Can't wait! (and really hope this won't be another case of the US gov't not following through...)

 

- Matt

One of my local dive shops ran a trip there back in 2000 or 2001. I wanted to go, but at the time I was poor and the trip was REALLY expensive. The diving did sound pretty cool, and Midway is supposed to be a great place for birding as well.

Also, I used to know a guy who worked a the "disposal" site on Johnston Atoll and did some diving there -- made me very jealous . . .

Mike