Maui Nui, the Super Island

The Auau Channel which cuts between Maui and Lanai is my favorite body of water in the world. Mark Twain once said that humpback whales were so numerous in the channel, you could literally walk from one island to the other on the backs of these whales and not get your feet wet. Hyperbole aside, there was once a time, hundreds of thousands of years ago, when one could walk from one island to the other.

1.2 million years ago, Maui Nui, or Greater Maui, was a super island. It contained Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and the area between these islands, which are now covered with water. The weight of the volcanic islands pushes down on the crust. They sink at a rate of 3mm per year.

There is a great article about Maui Nui here.

CKY