2/20/2023 0 Comments Kwajalein tidal poolsAt low tide, coral that has grown above the surface of the lagoon throws gnarled rocky fists above the water. The lagoon side of the island is gently lapped by turquoise waves that are choppy at worst and flat as glass on a windless day. Sailboats float in the lagoon off the Yacht Club on Kwajalein. The golf course – nine holes here with the other nine on another island – is wedged between the tarmac and the ocean along the island’s southern edge. On the southeastern side, where the U begins to curve around to the west, the runway begins, running east to west. Waves break on the reef and beyond their briny foam, India-inky water stretches to the curve of the earth, blue water to blue sky and white clouds, no land to offer relief.įrom the northern tip of the island along its outer edge, a few buildings perch above the reef – some houses (with great views and a stiff ocean breeze), the family swimming pool, an open-air bar, the scuba club, an adults-only pool, the ham radio shack and the Kwaj Lodge (the local “hotel”). A sea wall and mounded rock protects the length of the island on its ocean-facing side, and at high tide with a good storm, the water pounds against the rock, a constant white noise background.įacing the ocean from atop the sea wall, low tide reveals a moonscape of sharp reef rocks dotted with crabs, sea snails, tide pools and sea urchins. The water past the reef is rough, deep sapphire blue and wild, especially on stormy days. On the ocean side of Kwajalein, along the outside of the U, rocky reef slopes out gently from the island a short distance before dropping off – sometimes nearly vertically – to the 6,000-foot sea bed. The reef here is sharp, but the pools are filled with crabs and reef fish. Jake and I explored some tide pools off the golf course on a Sunday morning. These two bodies of water – both enormous in their way – may seem indistinguishable in some photos, but they create distinct sides to this tiny U-shaped land mass. “Lagoon-side” and “ocean-side” directions on Kwaj are like opposing cardinal arrows on a new compass. Ocean and lagoonīy now, I’ve adapted pretty quickly to orienting myself around the two major landmarks. Our island tour more than four weeks ago started with, “So this is the lagoon side … ” A few minutes later, we had driven a short arc around some houses, and our guide said, “There’s the ocean.” So let’s start there. We’ve lived here a month, so I may not be the best person to give a tour, but I imagine I’ll enjoy looking back on this post at the end of this adventure and reading about the island through my newbie eyes. Our first day on Kwajalein, we got a quick drive-around tour in a van.
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