Reports say that the water at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge has become a bright magenta pink hue since at least October 30th, due to the intense drought that has been ravaging the island. As a result of the drought, the water's salinity spiked so high that it attracted tiny organisms called halobacteria which love such extreme environments. Officials from the US Fish and Wildlife Service say that the halobacteria are the cause of the water turning pink.
Even though there should be water flowing down from the Waikapu Stream which comes from the West Maui Mountains, that area has also been affected by the extreme drought and so, not enough fresh water has been running toward Kealia Pond, another factor explaining the rare phenomenon. Of course, we are more familiar with the 'red tide' phenomenon, in which an overgrowth of dinoflagellates causes a huge swath of a body of water to turn red. This is considered a harmful algal bloom as the dinoflagellates produce toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, and other sea creatures.
According to the University of Hawaii, the exact strain of the halobacteria is still under analysis and we don't know as of yet whether the pink water is harmful or not, but nevertheless, authorities advise the public to avoid drinking the water, swimming in it, consuming fish from the water, and letting pets drink it as a safety precaution.
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