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Hawaii State Flag
Hawaii's
state flag resembles the Union Jack of Great Britain because
many of King Kamehameha's advisors were British and the islands
were once placed under England's protection.
The flag consists of eight horizontal
stripes, representing the eight major islands, and the British
Union Jack. It has served as the flag of the kingdom, republic,
territory, and the state of Hawaii.
Hawaii State Bird
The nene, or Hawaiian Goose, is the state
bird of Hawaii.
Once nearly extinct, it has been rescued
through the valiant efforts of conservationists here in the
islands and throughout the world.
The Hawaiian State
Fish
For a while, Hawaii had an official state
fish. It
was the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a (I’m
not kidding!) It is pronounced: hoomoo - hoomoo - nookoo - nookoo - ah - poo - ah - ah
Humuhumu means
“to fit pieces together.” This probably refers to the fish’s
pretty blocks of colors which fit together like the pieces of a
puzzle. Nukunuku-a-pua’a means “snout like a pig.”
The fish makes strange grunting noises when taken out of the
water. Therefore, some people thought its name meant “grunts
like a pig.”
Hawaii State Tree
The
kukui is the state tree of Hawaii.
Also known as the candlenut, the kukui was
a most useful tree to the early Hawaiians who used it for oil,
light, and other purposes.
Hawaii State Flower
The
beautiful yellow hibiscus (hibiscus brackenridgei), known as the
pua aloalo in the Hawaiian language, is the state flower.
It is believed that there were originally
only five species of hibiscus native to Hawaii. Later other
varieties were imported and growers began to develop hybrids to
produce the kaleidoscope of colors and sizes found today.
Hawaii State Gem
The black coral which grows in Hawaii's
offshore waters has been established as the official state gem.
Since its discovery by early Hawaiian divers, harvesting of the
spectacular corals has led to the establishment of a thriving
black coral jewelry industry and enhanced visitor and resident
appreciation of Hawaii's ocean resources.
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The
Hawaiian monk seal
The Hawaiian monk seal is found only in
the Hawaiian Islands, and is one of the most critically
endangered seal species in the world. Intense conservation
efforts by the National Marine Fisheries Service have helped to
stabilize the population, but even so, fewer than 1,400 animals
remain.
Hawaiian monk seals have been known to
dive to depths of 1,667 feet or more, but most of their diving
is probably much shallower. When hunting, they may stay
underwater for 15 to 20 minutes or more. They feed on reef fish,
octopus and lobsters.
Monk seals are not highly social animals
and spend much of their time alone or spread out on available
beaches. These seals may live 30 years, grow to lengths of 8
feet and attain weights of 400 to 600 pounds. The tiger shark is
believed to be the primary predator of monk seals.
Monk seals will come ashore to avoid
predators or after a large meal, and since they just lay there
in the sun, people often mistake them as being sick.
However, beaching is completely normal and you need to leave
them alone. It is against the law to approach them, and you can
be fined as much as $25,000 for disturbing them. You have
to just admire them from afar.
Geckos
I heard from one lady that went to
Kauai this summer who was all in a frenzy over these awful lizards she
kept seeing outside. When she spotted one inside, she tried to
kill them with hairspray and other awful things. What she didn’t
know was she was foolishly chasing out her good luck charm!
Geckos are cute little lizard like guys with webbed feet, who
make a surprisingly loud chirping sound at night.
In ancient Hawaii, Geckos were good luck.
After building a new house, the residents would not enter the
house and live there until a gecko had gone inside. Once a gecko
had taken up residence in the house, the family would move in.
In addition to being cute, they provide us all great service by
eating mosquitoes and roaches.
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