Home > Islets > Molokai > Mokuhooniki ISLETS: MOLOKAI > MOKUHOONIKI Mokuhooniki   Mokuhooniki - Photo: K Wood Mokuhooniki - Photo: K Wood   Mokuhooniki - Photo: K Wood Mokuhooniki - Photo: K Wood   Mokuhooniki - Photo: R Shallenberger Physical Features Mokuhooniki is located in the Pailolo Channel about one mile from the east end of Molokai. The islet is 11 acres in size, making it the largest of Molokai's offshore islets. Both Mokuhooniki and its neighbor islet, Kanaha are the remnants of a single, volcanic tuff cone that was cut into two parts by wave erosion. Mokuhooniki is about 200 feet at its highest point. Mokuhooniki and Kanaha were heavily bombed for military training during World War II and up until 1958. Shrapnel, bullets, and an assortment of projectiles can be found everywhere, including offshore waters. Cliffs show fracture lines, and there are impact craters on the summit. Regulations Unauthorized landing on Mokuhooniki is prohibited. The islet is a State Seabird Sanctuary managed by the Hawaii DOFAW and a DOFAW permit is required for landing. Regulations in Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 13 Chapter 125, protect wildlife and plants and restrict human activities in seabird sanctuaries. Federal law also protects seabirds, shorebirds, and threatened or endangered species. Birds A 1969 DOFAW survey identified several hundred Wedge-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus) chicks in burrows. A 1981 survey estimated more than 525 pairs of nesting wedge-tailed shearwaters on the islet in addition to small numbers of nesting Bulwer’s Petrel (Bulweria bulwerii), and possibly White-tailed tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus). The same survey noted Brown boobies (Sula leucogaster) and Great frigatebirds (Fregata minor) roosting on the island. Plants Plant surveys were conducted in 1969, 1981, and 2002. The 1969 survey collected 16 plant species, including 11 natives. The 1981 survey noted 24 plants species, 13 native and 11 alien species, indicating a significant increase in weeds since 1969. Plant cover was estimated at only 5% for most of the island. The most significant find was small numbers of endangered Dwarf naupaka (Scaevola coriacea). This plant was historically recorded from all the main islands of Hawaii except Kahoolawe, but is now only known from five locations; three of these on offshore islets. The 2002 survey found 26 plant species; 13 native and 13 alien species. Most of the species were the same as those found in 1981, including the Scaevola coriacea. Unlike many of the other offshore islets, the plant community on Mokuhooniki seems to be relatively stable. Insects Insect collection efforts on Mokuhooniki have been limited. However, the Native yellow-faced bee (Hylaeus species) was discovered on the island in 2002. Marine Organisms No marine survey data is known. However, recreational divers report that hundreds of scalloped hammerhead sharks gather around the island in the late summer and fall. Human Uses Hawaiians once had a secret deep-sea fishing ground east of Mokuhooniki up until the time of King Kahekili (1710-1794), when the fishing area became well known. An 1836 account also mentioned two large pits on the islets, one used for human burials and the other for cooking pigs. Mokuhooniki, like Kanaha, was subject to military target practice from 1944 until 1958. The cessation of bombing was apparently expedited by the 1957 crash on Molokai of a Navy jet fighter that had been using Mokuhooniki as a target. There are no records that the military cleaned up the islet after bombing stopped. Today, the islet is off limits for landing but recreational divers sometimes visit the surrounding waters. Threats Soil erosion, caused in part by historical use as a military target range, is a potential threat to native plants and nesting seabirds. Non-native vegetation also poses a threat by displacing native vegetation and seabirds. > Back to top of page Home  Islets  Species  Projects  Outreach  Links  About Us