1] Tikaroa speeds towards open water, his Maui Jim's enabling him to thread his way through the reef.
2] Nan's Maui Jims cut the glare on a cloudy day as she lowers a hydrophone to listen to a singing humpback.
3] Less Marsters' spots a humpback whale, aided by his Maui Jims.

4] Andrew Marsters guides a satellite tagged turtle back to sea.
5] The only time Nan takes off her Maui Jims is when she uses a lens with its own polarizing filter.
6] Nooroa and Hoyt measure a juvenile green turtle, their Maui Jim's cutting the high noon beach glare.

Maui Jim donates sunglasses to Palmerston Islanders
One of the hardest things about leaving Palmerston at the end of our 1998 and 1999 field seasons was having to ask Tikaroa and our other Palmerston assistants for our spare Maui Jims. We had loaned them out to each day's captain (we rotate captains from the entire community to include everyone who's capapble of and interested in the research), and they grew very attached to them. Not just for their style, rather, these folks were interested by how much better they could see the treacherous reefs and elusive fish. All of the people of Palmerston Atoll are fishermen, and they all rely on fish for their daily sustenance. Whether hand-spearing on the reef crest, netting on the flats, or trolling on the blue water, Tikaroa and the rest found that Maui Jim sunglasses helped them bring back more fish.

When we told Maui Jim about the fishermen of Palmerston, they readily offered shades for the community, which we delivered upon reaching the atoll in October. The fishermen of Palmerston gratefully received them. So, it was easier to leave Palmerston in December 2000 than ever before, but next year we look forward to supplying ALL of the islanders with Maui Jims.

Palmerston Islanders with their new Maui Jims