Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

Don't miss your chance to see the humpbacks before they go. Humpback whales travel around 16,000 miles a year from their feeding grounds in Alaska to their winter breeding areas. From November to April up to 12,000 humpbacks whales return to the Hawaiian Islands, the only state in the US where humpbacks mate, calve, and nurse their young. The Haiwaiin Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary protects one of the world’s most important humpback whale habitats. In Kaua’i, the sanctuary hugs the coastline from Klauea to Hena. Klauea Point National Wildlife Refuge offers a great vantage point for whale watching due to the fact that we sit 200 feet above sea level. Come join us at the Wildlife Refuge for a chance to see these beauties before they migrate north. : Dan Zimmerman, volunteer

Its Find a Rainbow Day! Seen any good rainbows lately? Here we see a rainbow formed over Crater Hill, as seen from Klauea Point. Crater Hill is home to over 10k red-footed boobies! A magical home, indeed. : Christa Mcleod, Park Ranger

DANCE PARTY ALERT The ml (Laysan albatross) we see dancing in this video are juveniles that are practicing their dancing skills. At three years old, juvenile ml return to their birthplace to start learning the ways of courtship. Juvenile birds gather in small groups and practice for years! At around age 5 they are ready for a partnered dance. A new ml pair works hard to perfect their dance, combining showy moves like the dab, rapid bill clapper, and bob strut into a dance that is unique to that couple. Once perfected, the birds lay their first egg around ages 6-8. They are typically not successful parents, however, until age 10. : Jacqueline Olivera #Albatross #WildlifeConservation

These boots are made for hiking, and that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days these bootswon’t spread Rapid Ohia Death. We are excited to announce a Boot Scrub Station installation on Okolehao Trail. Boot scrub stations such as this one, help prevent the spread of Rapid hia Death (ROD) throughout Hawai’i’s native forests. The hia tree (Metrosideros polymorpha) is a keystone species that faces a new threat in the form of a new fungal disease called ROD. First det...ected on Hawaii Island a half-dozen years ago, more than a million hia on Hawaii island have died from two new fungi, unknown to science before. In 2018, the disease was found for the first time on Kauai. There is currently no known cure for affected trees, so preventing the spread of this disease is vital. This scrub station is co-manage with DOFAW as part of the N Ala Hele trail system. Special thanks to KISC representatives, Brenna Yunn Fowler and Alicia Hedlesky for installation. : Christa McLeod #RapidOhiaDeath #BootScrubStation

It’s National Napping Day! Most of the time we see monk seals, they are taking an afternoon siesta on the warm Hawaiian sands. The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world. The population overall has been declining for over six decades and current numbers are only about one-third of historic population levels. However, the decline has slowed over the last 10 years thanks to many recovery efforts! Hawaiian monk seals are only found in the H...awaiian archipelago which includes both the main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. That means these monk seals are endemic to these islands, occurring no where else in the world. Hawaiian monk seals are protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and State of Hawai'i law. : USFWS #MonkSeal #EndangeredSpecies

Mid-season ml update: Chick-hatching is nearly complete and parents are at sea acquiring food for chicks while replenishing their own reserves. With 72 chicks hatching successfully, nest success throughout Klauea Point NWR was 67.4%, which is above the 20-year average of 59.1%! We believe this is due to our early/consistent vertebrate control (pigs, cats, and rats) and fence patching. Fingers crossed for high fledging rates as well! Mahalo to our biological team, volunteers, and maintenance team who quietly do essential work behind the scenes, especially our dedicated ml (Laysan albatross) monitors Yuka and Louise for keeping us all informed on our beloved albatross. : Jacqueline Olivera #Albatross #SeabirdConservation

‘Ua‘u Kani, or wedge-tailed shearwater, are monogamous and return to the same nest site each year, nesting in shallow burrows, one to two meters in length. Both sexes participate in digging a burrow or repairing the burrow from last year. Amazing, considering that these birds dig with their feet, Video: Jacqueline Olivera #SeaBirdConservation #HawaiianSeaBirds

FREE ADMISSION MARCH 13th from 10 am - 3:30 pm in celebration of Spring Break! We want to give our keiki the opportunity to take a break from screens and explore nature through hands-on activities that compliment learning for the entire family. So, that Saturday we’ll be giving out free, fun learning kits to keiki that are themed around our native Hawaiian pollinators! Each Kit Includes: Custom Junior Ranger canvas tote bag Magnifying glass Pollinator finger puppet... Beeswax coin Nature Explorer Journal filled with engaging crafts and activities! A new book, courtesy of our Friends at the Princeville Library BONUS: Come down to the historic Daniel K. Inouye Light station to observe the tropic birds, albatross, and red-footed boobies as the soar! Mahalo to our partners Friends of Kauai Refuges and the Princeville Public Library! Gates close at 3:30pm. No reservations necessary. Due to COVID-19 we can only admit 25 people at a time, first come first serve. The image reads: Free Family Learning Kits Saturday March 13th Custom Junior ranger tote bag filles with engaging activities, crafts, exploration tool like a magnifying glass and a new nature book! Caregivers: Kits target keiki pre-k to 4th. Celebrate spring pollinators and explore nature during spring break! Pick up locations: Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (10am 3:30 pm - no entrance fee!) Princeville Library (9am-4pm) Pick up date: Saturday March13th

Destroy! Don’t Dump! Invasive zebra mussels were recently found in "moss balls, an aquarium plant product sold at aquarium and pet supply stores. Zebra musse...ls are regarded as one of the most destructive invasive species in North America. If you have moss balls in your aquarium DO NOT DUMP THEM. Follow these instructions to keep our waterways safe. https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/ANS/zebra-mussel-disposal.html

We are hiring! The Kauai National Wildlife Refuge Complex is seeking two permanent, full-time maintenance workers based out of Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge. A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Hit the link in the comment section bellow to apply. The Kauai National Wildli...fe Refuge Complex is made up of: Klauea Point National Wildlife Refuge Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge Hul‘ia National Wildlife Refuge The image reads "We're hiring!" #KauaiJobs #JobsInConservation : USFWS

Happy National Puppy Day! Today we celebrate Hawaiian monk seal pups. The Hawaiian name for the monk seal is "ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua," which means dog running in the rough water. While the number of births peak in spring and summer, monk seal pups can be born any time of year. Monk seals moms typically nurse their pups for 5 to 7 weeks, feeding them milk rich in fat that will increase their weight from 30 pounds at birth to nearly 200 pounds! Photo: USFWS #NationalPuppyDay #MonkSealPup

When you and your sibling love being weirdos together..... Happy National Siblings Day! What's your favorite thing to do with your sibling(s)? : USFWS... #NationalSiblingsDay #LaysanAlbatross #KilaueaPointNWR #MigratoryBird See more

Meet Solo, a Conservation Dog of Hawaii, and her trainer, Kyoko. This yellow lab is being trained to sniff out duck carcasses infected by Avian botulism type C at Hanalei NWR. The goal is to find carcasses quickly to prevent a botulism outbreak. Currently, the Refuge relies on human volunteers to help us find sick or deceased birds. We are striving towards using both humans and dogs in the future to help find as many carcasses as possible. Training with Conservation Dogs of ...Hawaii continued in February 2021. It’s believed that with further training these dogs could one day help infected live birds, which, if caught in time, biologists can administer an antitoxin to save its life. Avian botulism type C is a naturally occurring soil bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, which produces a powerful neurotoxin. It occurs year-round in Hawaii due to the warm, wet, and stagnant conditions that allow it to persist. Since 2011, more than 1,300 waterbirds have been killed or sickened by the disease at Hanalei NWR, with over 90% of the mortalities among five federally endangered species. The Koloa Maoli (Hawaiian Duck) is most susceptible to botulism, because it’s a dabbler. A big mahalo to our partners, Conservation Dogs Hawaii! : Tor Johnson, 2019 #ConservationDogs #Hanalei