Mokumanamana is a place of spiritual and geologic transition

Mokumanamana is a place of spiritual and geologic transition. . As these massive volcanoes move away from the hot spot, they cease to erupt, and slowly erode to become atolls, lagoons, and expansive sholes of coral reef. The island of Mokumanamana rises from the sea about halfway along the island chain and stands as the last remnants of much larger islands. It marks a milestone in geologic time - the transition from land to sea. , Though little more than a jagged rock jutting above the waves, the island was sanctified by Native Hawaiians with dozens of upright stones (photo bottom left) and sacred sites likely to mark the path of the sun and other heavenly bodies. For many, the entire island is revered as a heiau (temple). , The striking archaeological sites on Mokumanamana are the physical markers of a spiritual world. In Native Hawaiian tradition, this mysterious island marks the boundary between Ao, the world of the light and the living, and Pō, the world of spirits and primordial darkness.