Mount Wai'ale'ale once received 683 inches of rain in one year
This photo was taken during one a surprising hike on the island of Kauai in Hawai’i. It was surprising for a few reasons. One, Jill and I had thought that we would only be hiking the Nu’alolo Trail on that day. Two, the weather had gone from sunny to rainy in an instant. If we looked to the west, there was nothing but clouds, and to the east, there was sunshine cutting through the rain clouds. Three, the trail was made of nothing but slick mud and rocks. It was the last bit that had my legs fly above my head when errantly stepping on a wet rock. I ended up covered in the beautiful, famous red mud of Kauai.
The most interesting fact about this hike is that we were hiking along the Alakai Swamp in our view. The Alakai Swamp is part of the Alaka’i Wilderness Preserve. It is home to over 21 endangered species that are endemic to Kauai. This area is not actually a swamp; instead, it is an alpine bog. It is located next to Mount Wai’ale’ale, which is the wettest place on Earth. Mount Wai’ale’ale averages 373 inches of rain per year. The record for rainfall here was recorded as 683 inches of rain in 1982. Wai’ale’ale is translated from the native Hawaiian to mean “rippling water” or “overflowing water” in English.
Due to the high number of endangered species that live in the Alaka’I Swamp, it is designated as an IUCN protected area. There are six endemic bird species that live here: ‘Akeke’e, ‘Akikiki, ‘Anianiau, ‘Kaua’i ‘Amakihi, Kaua’i ‘Elepaio, and Puaihoi. The populations of these bird species have been lowered by the introduction of mosquitoes that have brought about avian malaria and avipoxvirus. Already two species that were endemic to the preserve were declared extinct in 2021: the Kaua’i ‘o’o and the Kama’o. The Kama’o was once the most common bird on the island of Kaua’i.
A majority of the swamp is actually covered by a flowering evergreen tree called the ‘ohi’a lehua. It can grow to be as tall as 82 feet high in ideal conditions but grows as a prostrate shrub in the boggy soil of Alaka’I Swamp. This plant is found on the six largest islands of Hawai’i. It grows particularly well on lava and is often the first plant to grow overtop of new lava flows. The flowers of this tree can be either yellow or red. There are many other endemic plants that grow within the Alakai swamp, and some of those species are endangered.
There are six endemic bird species that live in Alakai Swamp
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