Midway Atoll

Midway Atoll

Midway Atoll is a 6.2 km2 atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, the largest island of which is Sand Island, which has apartments and an airstrip. Just east of Sand Island, across the narrow Brooks Channel, is Eastern Island. Around the two main islands forming a rugged, incomplete circle and creating the Midway Lagoon is Spit Island, a narrow reef. Situated roughly equidistant between North America and Asia, the island of Midway is the only island in the Hawaiian archipelago which is not part of the state of Hawaii. Covering 239,165.77 hectares of land and water in the surrounding area, the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Much of the refuge and surrounding area forms part of the larger Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Midway Atoll is part of an Important Bird Area in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, designated by BirdLife International for its seabirds and endemic landbirds. The atoll is a crucial habitat in the central Pacific Ocean and is home to 17 species of seabirds. Many native species depend on the island, which is currently home to 67-70 per cent of the world's Laysan Albatross population and 34-39 per cent of the global population of the Black-Footed Albatross, but a few of the very rare Short-Tailed Albatross have also been observed. The 120 000-ha lagoon and surrounding waters are home to more than 250 different species of marine life. The critically endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals raise their young on the beaches, and Green Sea Turtles nest on the island from time to time. The lagoons and nearshore waters are also home to a pod of 300 Spinner Dolphins.