A pond in Honolulu, Hawaii that’s tuned bubblegum pink has residents scratching their heads.
Staff at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on Maui, who have been monitoring the pink water since October 30, have pinned the blame on an organism called halobacteria, according to The Huffington Post.
A contributing factor is a drought in Maui. Normally Waikapu Stream feeds into Kealia Pond and raises water levels there, but Wolfe said that hasn’t happened in a long time.
When it rains, the stream will flow into Kealia’s main pond and then into the outlet area that’s now pink. This will reduce the salinity and potentially change the water’s color.
“That might be what makes it go away,” Bret Wolfe, the refuge manager, said.
Meanwhile, it’s attracted flocks of tourists, which is fine with Wolfe. “If that’s what gets them there, it’s OK,” he says. “It is neat.”