A diving monk seal from underwater photographer Wayne Levin's latest book, Akule,

We’ll get to how the name is pronounced in a moment, but first this: The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument recently became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site to be designated in the United States since 1995. Encompassing the islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands — stretching some 1,200 miles northwest of Kaua’i– the National Monument is home to threatened and endangered sea birds, monk seals, sharks, reef fish, delicate corals. Now that tongue-twisting name Papahānaumokuākea (click here for the pronunciation, courtesy of SFgate.com); “it is derived from two key figures in Hawaiian cosmology: Papahānaumoku (an earth mother, or ‘Papa who gives birth to the islands’) and Wākea (the sky father.)”

According to the same SFgate.com article, “The United Nations agency recognized the area for both its natural and cultural significance, the first such ‘mixed’ site honored in the United States, and one of only 26 worldwide. It’s the largest conservation area in the United States, at 140,000 square miles, and it’s the second World Heritage Site for Hawai’i; Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park received its designation for its natural wonders in 1987. But while Volcanoes on the Big Island is one of the most popular attractions in the state, by federal mandate only a maximum of 50 visitors a day are allowed to overnight on Midway Atoll, the only place possible to do so in Papahānaumokuākea.” For more information on taking a trip to Papaha…go here.