TROPICAL WEST - PACIFIC ISLANDS - Photo Ecosphere

Geographic Regions
TROPICAL WEST - PACIFIC ISLANDS

GALLERY DESCRIPTION:

Rainforests, active volcanic landscapes, and coral reefs in the remote tropical environments of the Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa in the Pacific Ocean

U.S. STATES / U.S. TERRITORIES:

Hawaii (Big Island of Hawai'i, Maui) / American Samoa (Tutuila)

Overlook along Halemau'u Trail

Ring-Necked Pheasant

Sunrise over a cloud forest at the summit of Haleakalā (Pu'u 'ula'ula)

Sunrise at Pu'u 'ula'ula, Haleakalā Summit (elevation: 10,023 feet)

Morning Sun hits the sides of Haleakalā Crater

Silversword Plant ('Ahinahina) growing near the summit of Haleakalā

A view down inside Haleakalā Crater along Keonehe'ehe'e (Sliding Sands) Trail

Haleakalā Crater

Silversword Plant ('Ahinahina)

Haleakalā Crater on an overcast morning from Keonehe'ehe'e (Sliding Sands) Trail

Clouds fill part of Haleakalā Crater

Haleakalā Crater

Haleakalā Crater

Burnt red colored Cinder Cones rise up from the floor of Haleakalā Crater

Haleakalā Crater

Rocky volcanic landscape at Haleakalā Crater

An other-wordly looking landscape, volcanic rocks dot the orange, gray, and reddish colored slopes leading down into Haleakalā Crater

A sweeping desolate landscape around the rim of Haleakalā Crater

A Na'e Na'e plant grows out of volcanic rock above Haleakalā Crater

Na'e Na'e plant

Na'e Na'e plant

A late afternoon shadow begins to advance toward Haleakalā Crater below

Craters of Cinder Cones rising from the floor of Haleakalā Crater

Silversword Plant ('ahinahina) is endemic to the high elevation slopes of Haleakalā on the island of Maui

A cloud forest lingers below the summit of Haleakalā at dusk

Haleakalā Observatory at sunset just below the summit

Banyon Tree

Ohe'o Gulch in the Kīpahulu park district

The Pools of 'Ohe'o (Seven Sacred Pools) lack sufficient water to flow over the gulch rocks during an abnormally dry spell

This model of a Hale Ku'ai represents a traditional Hawaiian house used for storing, displaying, and trading

Orange Amaryllis Barbados Lily flower

Longhorn Bee on a Blue Porterweed flower

Forest trees along Pīpīwai Trail

Further inland along Ohe'o Gulch in the Kīpahulu section, views of rugged dense tropical rainforest are seen along Pīpīwai Trail

Banyon Tree on the Pīpīwai Trail

A Bird's Nest Fern on a tree branch along Pīpīwai Trail

Bamboo trees

Bamboo trees are native to Asia, but thrive in the moist tropical environment of the windward side of Maui

Bamboo tree forest

Looking skyward in the middle of a Bamboo Forest

Waimoku Falls viewed through the rainforest vegetation along Pīpīwai Trail

Waimoku Falls

Waimoku Falls cascades 400 feet off a moss covered cliff

Hawaiian Green Ti Plants adorn the landscape leading up to Waimoku Falls on Pīpīwai Trail

Clusters of Fairy Inkcap, small white mushrooms, grow from a fallen log on the side of Pīpīwai Trail

Tree branches covered in Moss support Bird's Nest Ferns as they hang over a stream flowing through a vibrant tropical rainforest

A thick Bamboo Forest grows in the southeast Kīpahulu section of the park

Orbweaver Spider

Tropical Rainforest environment at Kakiweka Gulch

Falls along Ka'ili Stream along Kakiweka Gulch

Dark volcanic rock cliffs

Waves roll in and crash against a dark, volcanic rocky shoreline

Waves roll in and crash against a dark, volcanic rocky shoreline

Just outside Hana off the Road to Hana, Palm trees sway in the wind and the waters of the Pacific Ocean crash into Maui's rocky windward coastline

Hanawi Falls

Morning due collected on a moss-like plant alongside the Road to Hana

Pua'a Ka'a Falls

Pua'a Ka'a Falls at Pua'a Ka'a State Park along the road to Hana

Pua'a Ka'a Falls

Pua'a Ka'a Falls

Sea Hibiscus wildflower

Chinese Hibiscus wildflower

Chinese Hibiscus wildflower

Referred to as the Three Bears Waterfalls, these falls are formally named the Upper Waikani Falls

Tropical vegetation covers a gulch leading out to the Pacific Ocean along the Road to Hana

Waves crash into jagged, dark volcanic rocks along the shores of Ke'anae Peninsula

Hawaiian Garden Spider

Maui Orbweaver, a variety of a Garden Spider

Maui Orbweaver, a variety of a Garden Spider

Maui Orbweaver, a variety of a Garden Spider

Honomanu Bay

Honomanu Bay

Ruffled Fan Palms pepper the ground along the trail leading to Twin Falls

Twin Falls descends into a small pool

Ferns, moss, and vines hang from a crescent shaped cliff from which Twin Falls cascades off

Gulf Fritillary butterfly

Gulf Fritillary butterfly

Gulf Fritillary butterfly

Gulf Fritillary butterfly

Euclyptus trees

Euclyptus trees

Grove of Euclyptus trees along the Road to Hana

Falls along Na'ili'ili-Haele Stream

Under rain and fog ʻIao Needle (Kuka‘emoku) is visible to the left in ʻĪao Valley

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