"2,000 miles across the ocean farther from land than any other place on earth... the Hawaiian Islands." "Hidden from the world for untold generations its secrets continue to be discovered by those who care enough to explore this paradise." "Its least-known secret is Pele's Vent a window in the ocean floor to the earth's molten core" "the birthplace of all the islands of Hawaii." "If you look close enough, you, too, will discover the hidden secrets of Hawaii." "Millions of years ago out of a vast expanse of ocean, a great fire erupted." "Pele, Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes fought a mighty battle with the gods of the sea." "Today, on Hawaii's most active volcano, Kilauea you can witness the battle between fire and water just as it happened millions of years ago." "Out of this struggle, these islands were born." "They became the most isolated islands on earth barren rock, absent of all life." "Over millions of years life arrived from distant shores." "Carried by the wind and the waves only a few survived the journey" "A new arrival not more than once every 25,000 years." "The tiniest of creatures came to the islands in raindrops." "Seeds found passage on the wings of butterflies and birds..." "And soon new green life sprouted from the hardened lava rock." "Plant life, for centuries left undisturbed flourished in the mild climate." "Enemies were few." "Raspberries lost their thorns." "Nettles lost their sting." "Some birds lost the need to fly." "But however isolated the islands would not remain a secret forever." "The Polynesians discovered Hawaii over 1,500 years ago." "Traveling in simple open vessels they crossed more than 2,000 miles of ocean." "Unaware of Hawaii's richness of life they brought with them familiar plants and the island's first land mammals." "From the lush rain forests of Hawaii" "to the razor-sharp pails of kauai" "to the arid heights of Kaleakala on Maui it was the dynamic beauty of these islands that made them want to settle and become a part of this tropical paradise." "Haleakala:" "The house of the sun." "My ancestors used to make this rugged 10,000-foot climb to worship their gods." "Back then, this was an active volcano." "Now, Haleakala is asleep last erupting just over 200 years ago." "Up here, they discovered" "Hawaii's foremost flowering resident the only place on earth this plant exists:" "The silversword." "As a park ranger" "I come here to study and monitor its progress." "It lives in a delicate balance on Haleakala's silent, rugged terrain." "After a decade of sinking its roots into volcanic cinders it sends up a single magnificent stalk." "Each plant blooms only once and then dies." "It seems to lead a solitary life on these barren slopes but it is not alone." "Hidden beneath the desolate terrain is the silversword's partner." "These native bees build their nests right on the ground and, for generations, have kept the silversword alive by pollinating its blossoms." "The bees' work is as vital as a heartbeat." "Sometimes my work takes me to the big island of Hawaii." "Here, in the rain forest the giant ohia lehua trees and hapuu ferns provide a protective canopy to an amazingly diverse collection of plants and animals." "Each plant and living organism depends on another for shade and, ultimately, for life." "But these peaceful glades also shelter an intruder." "50,000 wild pigs live on the islands today." "Foraging for worms and roots they destroy the ferns and the lower canopy endangering the entire rain forest." "By laying hundreds of miles of fence we restrict the pigs' grazing area preserving the necessary balance." "After all, the rain forest is one of Hawaii's vital organs." "Its network of plant life acts as a sponge storing water and supporting countless rare species... plants, animals and insects that have evolved over time" "some of which scientists have yet to even identify." "They are all over the islands like this happy face spider, discovered only a few years ago." "Each has a distinctive face." "I think this one looks like a clown." "Unless you know where to look these quarter-inch-long insects are difficult to find but they are here, and like the silversword and countless other living organisms we are helping them survive." "While I do my part to help preserve the watersheds and the precious life they nourish a much larger struggle is going on... one that seemingly has no beginning and no end." "The front lines of this never-ending battle can be seen here, on this rocky coast." "For millions of years giant waves have been attacking the land grinding its volcanic rock to black sand." "But new land is created as Pele's molten rock hardens." "Beneath the pounding surf we discover that the land has an ally." "Millions of tiny organisms live in the warm waters around the Hawaiian islands, forming large coral reefs that protect the rocky foundation of the island above." "Nourished by nutrients washed off the land the reefs expand." "Once established the coral reefs are a support system for a large variety of other marine life all a part of an underwater paradise." "As one layer of land builds upon another new life starts by building on the life that came before." "Today, technology allows us to travel back to the origin of these islands to a place where the future unfolds" "just 20 miles southeast of Hawaii." "It is here that oceanographers hope to gain a better understanding of how all the islands were created." "Using the Pisces submersible these scientists are able to travel to the birthplace of all the islands..." "Pele's Vent, an opening in the ocean floor." "As they journey into the ocean depths lights will be necessary." "No sunlight penetrates the ocean at 4,000 feet." "As the Pisces approaches Pele's domain the pressure will increase to more than a half billion pounds on its tiny hull." "After descending for more than an hour the view from the window of the Pisces reveals plankton and volcanic ash." "Ghost-white bacteria lives in the dark waters warmed by the rising heat." "At the bottom, the oceanographers discover" "Hawaii's newest island being created." "Called Loihi for now, she is hidden from the world above." "Perhaps in a thousand lifetimes from now she'll break the ocean surface and join her island sisters." "At Pele's Vent, close to the source the temperature is boiling hot." "It is said that the intense heat from Pele's breath streaming right out of the earth's molten interior creates these shimmering waters." "Ash is everywhere and the elements of life pour forth:" "Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur." "This is newborn rock straight from the center of the earth... as precious as any moon rock in the journey to discover how this paradise was created." "Nearby, life is already arriving on Loihi." "Creatures specially adapted to living in this little-known world of intense pressure and darkness are among her first residents." "Ascending back up the slopes of Loihi to the world of light and sunshine we realize we are only beginning to discover the mysteries of Hawaii and its hidden secrets." "The process of discovery goes on every day in Hawaii" "by those curious and courageous enough to go where few dare." "Out here on the north shore of Molokai the rain and the ocean relentlessly pound the sea cliffs." "Except for the summer months, it's pretty inaccessible." "That's probably why so few people come here." "It's a part of Hawaii that I would bet looks the same today as it did to the first Polynesians." "Down here on the water this coastline is a spectacular sight." "Nature at work shaping the land, carving ridges and caves from the rock." "These rock walls were once fiery and fluid." "Now they get battered and undercut by the ocean's waves." "Built up over thousands of years they are slowly reclaimed by the sea." "Each time I make this journey" "I'm aware that nature could turn on me." "The ocean could suddenly rise up and dash me against the rocks like a piece of driftwood." "I keep coming back, despite the risks." "It's no longer just the magnificence of it all... it's something much, much more important." "Tomorrow, the real danger begins and if all goes well, I'll reach my final destination." "I'm a botanist." "Years ago, I discovered the alula an extremely rare plant species we thought was gone gone forever." "Each year when I returned" "I noticed there were fewer and fewer of them and never any new plants." "It seemed that the alula's pollinators had disappeared." "For the species to survive, a new pollinator was needed." "That's why I come back each year to help them in their struggle to survive." "Trouble is, there's no way to reach them without climbing these crumbling sheer sea cliffs and no way to anchor a rope until I make it to the top where a few still cling to life, 3,000 feet above the ocean." "It's touch and go whether the alula will survive." "It's really up to me to help keep this precious species alive." "Up here, on the highest sea cliffs in the world" "I have really gained an appreciation for the richness of life on Hawaii." "Of course, the job has only begun." "I have to come back in a few months to collect the seeds." "Pretty crazy, huh?" "I want all this beauty to be around for our children to see" "and their children which is not so crazy, after all." "Pele's lava continues to flow today as it has for millions of years providing a foundation for the generations of tomorrow." "Like the Polynesians before us we leave our footprints on the ancient paths of this paradise." "It is a never-ending cycle that we are all a part of as we continue on our journey to discover the secrets of Hawaii."