Sinking 22 vessels in its patrols during WWII the USS Bowfin is one of the Navy’s most storied “Silent Service” submarines.
Nicknamed the “Pearl Harbor Avenger” the USS Bowfin Submarine was launched on December 7, 1942 exactly one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The USS Bowfin is one of only 15 U.S. WWII submarines that survived not becoming scrap metal or used as target practice in military exercises following decommission after its service. Now, the Bowfin is a National Historic Landmark and resides in Honolulu at Pearl Harbor.
The two and a half acre USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park sits on the beautiful shoreline of historic Pearl Harbor and is located within the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Visitors to the site can tour the decks of the submarine and see up-close what it was like for sailors to live and work on a submarine during World War II.
Learn more about this amazing submarines story and the role it played in helping end World War II on the WWII Pearl Harbor Heroes Adventure Tour.
Before Captain Cook’s arrival in 1778, the Nene’s population was in the tens of thousands, in part due to native Hawaiians understanding of the Nene’s breeding patterns as well as no natural predators existing on the islands. These two factors allowed these gentle birds to flourish on Hawai’i, Maui, and Kauai. But due to colonialism, the natural balance of the islands changed – large swaths of the bird’s natural habitat were deforested. Newly introduced predators, such as rats, mongooses, wild dogs, and cats, made easy meals of the helpless Nene. New settlers on the island also began hunting the Nene during the breeding season which quickly diminished the wild population. By the time it was realized that the Nene were teetering on the brink of extinction it was estimated only 60 wild geese remained on the islands.
Starting in 1950 a captive propagation program began in hopes of boosting the population. The program continues to this day and has been a success thanks to funding and restoration efforts – this once endangered bird has made a comeback. Volcanoes National Park, an original habitat for the Nene has embraced the Nene as it returns to it’s natural habitat among the rocks and lava fields where it once thrived. The Park, in large part funded by tourists visiting the area, attempts to enhance foraging habitats for wild-nesting Nene by mowing certain areas, planting native food-plants, closing breeding areas off from visitors, and supplementing food and water in safe locations among the Nene’s natural habitats.
