Most people expect to see crystal blue waters when they’re in Hawaii — not a pink pond.
Severino Urubio of Hilo, Hawaii snaps photos of Kealia Pond’s pink water at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge in Kihei, Hawaii on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023.Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP
Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP
Bret Wolfe, a manager at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, told theAssociated Pressthat after testing the water, they found that the salinity levels inside the Kealia Pond are currently greater than 70 parts per thousand, which is twice the salinity of regular seawater.
As for why the pond turned pink now, Stephanie Stack, chief research biologist for Pacific Whale Foundation, explained to local stationKHON2 Newsthat the current drought conditions on Maui could have contributed to it. She said that the pond was previously connected to the ocean, but lack of rain has dried up the connection.
“That has caused some algae and bacteria to bloom, some species that are very salt-tolerant and that thrive in a salty environment,” said Stack. “The freshwater is evaporating and leaving behind a lot of salt and so that’s leaving it with this beautiful pink color.”
She also noted that the algae left behind have the “beta carotene pigment” in them, similar to carrots and that the water has “nothing manmade or toxic that we need to be concerned about.”
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As the water is being analyzed, authorities warned people to avoid drinking, swimming in or eating fish caught in the water, per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s statement.
source: people.com
