Since
October 30th, the hue of a
pond in the Kealia Pond
National Wildlife Refuge on
Maui has transformed to a
shade of pink. Initially,
speculation arose regarding
the involvement of algae,
but subsequent research by
the University of Hawaii
revealed that a form of
bacteria, known to flourish
in saline environments, was
responsible for the
distinctive pink coloration,
rather than algae. The
current severe drought in
Maui is leading to an
elevation in salt
concentration within ponds
and lakes, contributing to
this phenomenon. I took
these photos during the
sunrise hours, and thus
pinky red turned into bloody
red. Due
to the glare and reflections
from the surface of the
water, observing the pink
pond with the naked eyes may
not reveal its spectacular
nature. As a remedy, I used
a circular polarizer to
eliminate the disruptive
glare and reflections.
Alternatively, wearing
sunglasses with a polarizing
feature produces a similar
effect. The last two photos
on this page were taken at
Kula Tropical Plantation.
