The Perl & Hermes Reefs
one of the forbidden Hawaii'an Islands
by Wolfgang Schippke, DC3MF
My special Thank to Mr.Ted Brattstrom (NH6YK) for his pictures and informations


<= Southeast Island, which is parted in to two islands, joined by a small sandy spit.
The Perl & Hermes Reefs, two close together connected reefs, consists of three maior islets, Grass, Sand and Kittery Islands and about 5 smaller sandy cays. The complete area of land is about 31 acres. All islands are uninhabited, except sea-birds and several kinds of seals. The position of the islands is given with 27N50, 175W50. Perl & Hermes is about 6 miles from west to east and up to 3.5 miles wide. There are only two small openings into the lagoon, one in the south-south-east corner, the other in the south-west of Perl Reef, the most western reef.

The islands, all together 12 in numbers, are composited by sand and coral and covered with bushes, grass, moose and some stooden palm-trees. The only population are thousands of sea-birds nesting and living here, also in the last years several kinds of the very rare Hawaii'an seals are observed. On Noth Islet stands a wooden hut, frequently wisited by the Hawaii'an Fish & Wildlife Service.

[map]<-- Perl & Hermes Reef Map (from Carlquist, 'Natural History of Hawaii', page 414)

The higest point on the reefs is the remainds of a Taiwanesian Vessel, run on ground in 1980 near North Islet and it is sayed that the remainds are visible about 3.5 miles in clam sea. Another wreck lies close to Bird Islet, in the vicinity to the only possible anchorage. A ruined pier is on Bird Islet.

The reef area was first discovered by the both walers 'Perl' and 'Hermes' run on ground here on the 26th of April 1822. In 1857 the King of Hawaii annexed the both reefs and sold them in 1878 to the German 'Weber Mining Cooperation', Hamburg. For about 10 years the German company mined guano from here, and partly about 150 workers lifed in a small settlement on Kittery Island. This huts are ruined today but are reported to be visible till today. During WW II Japanese troups landed for 2 weeks on the reef, in preparation to the battle of Midway, but were fighted by the US Navy, who built up a small airfield on the Kittery Island. This airfield is ruined and the buildings abandoned today.

The islands of Perl & Hermes Reefs:
North Island, Southeast Island, Kittery Island (the largest), North Islet, Bird Islet, Grass Island, Sand Island
Literature:
/1/ John Eliot "Hawaii's FarFlug Wildlife Paradise", in Nat.Geo., May 1978
Perl & Hermes Reefs are a resicted area under the owenership of the Hawaii'an Fish and Wildlife Service. Any stay and landing needs a special permit by the Hawaii'an Government, the US Office for Nature Reserve and of the Hawaii'an Fish and Wildlife Service. Since 1978 the reefs are absolutely closed for public visits. (updated: May 08.1997)