Intern Account: Kim:
"At around 7am, I met Heather and Jaap at the base camp of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife in Makiki. We made our way to Kailua Beach to launch the boat and when we reached the island, dropped off our equipment in plastic, waterproof buckets. After the equipment was on the island, we jumped off the boat and swam to shore, where we had to climb up the rocks. In our case, the trip was primarily for practicing arthropod collecting techniques; we brought nets, vials, and gloves to collect the bugs. We lifted up rocks and sifted through the long, rough grass in search of any type of arthropods we could catch. We also used the nets in an attempt to capture the many arthropods flying around. When we captured an arthropod, we put the small ones in with each other in one vial with alcohol to preserve the specimens. Among the bigger arthropods we caught were two different species of grasshoppers, a bee, and a small crab we found underneath a rock. Because this was my first trip to an outer islet, I really learned much about the abundance of life located on these islets. From the main islands, I could never spot the birds that inhabit this islet, let alone any other islet I have seen from the coast. I learned how to notice the burrows and the stench the shearwater birds leave behind. I also appreciated the opportunity this trip gave me for practicing the collection of arthropods."

Intern Account: Malia:
"Kaohikaipu has been one of the islets I have been looking at since I was a little girl, so it was amazing to finally get the chance to go onto it. We took a beautiful boat ride on one of the clearest days out to the islet. We had to swim in and climb up the rocks while watching the waves crash around us. Luckily it was one of the calmer days. The island, being a bird sanctuary, was interesting because the birds would pop out of their burrows right next to us without fear. I actually got to see the birds Heather talks about close up. After collecting bugs and watching sea birds, we took a quick dip in the ocean where we could see the multi-colored coral lingering beneath us. The cool water made my fear of sharks disappear. Our excursion ended with a tour around Manana Islet where we saw whales breaching a few hundred yards away. Kaohikaipu is definity one of my favorite islands, it made me feel like i was in another world."