Shoreline Net Removal and Basic Survival!

PMDP vs. Thunderstorm

By Gabriella Echeverry

July 19th, 2022

Here we are, finally away from the big South Pacific swell that has been hunting us for some days. Itʻs not sunny but we feel it is magical because we get to be back in the field. The idea of visiting a new place, Kapou (Lisianski Island), pumps our excitement even higher. We have our shovels, loppers, knifes and we are ready to collect every single net we find on land. Nothing can stop us!

As we set our first steps on the island, the scenery feels immediately unique. All along the waterline bare tree branches hug the shore. On them, weightless birds are resting and examining us. It feels like being immersed in the Jungle Book movie scene. We jump straight into action and in a matter of an hour and a half we set up for success. However, what starts like a blessing - rain that pours down to refresh and keeps us cool- suddenly becomes a concern.

Thunderbolts in the sky indicate a “passing” storm that ends up building and staying with us for the next five hours, lightning striking all around us. On an island with no hills and low vegetation, our best bet is to stay low among the bushes. It seems unlikely, but the thought of being struck by lightning and the realization of how remote we actually are, makes us connect with our most basic survival instincts. We hug forming a spiderweb to keep ourselves warm, we use our plastic bags to build a shelter and we sing Katy Perry´s “Firework” because it has never been more spot on than in that moment. Also, because the team morale never fails and we have always managed to see the glass half full.

For a brief moment, the sky clears above us, and for the first time we can see the ship again. We reach the IMUA safely, grateful for the good and the bad that make the adventure an adventure. Just like the first day of in-water operations, we get a double rainbow in the sky after chanting the Oli. Only this time, it appears just after the sun has disappeared behind the horizon. Such a unique phenomenon can only mean one thing: our decision to spend our last days of expedition back on Maro Reef is the right thing to do. But first, one more stop on the way: Laysan.

Meet the Author

Gabriella Echeverry