Incredible. I was on Midway when they were shooting that. It is a special island with a unique mixture of history, wildlife, and isolation.
Among the remote atolls I've seen, it is also one of the cushiest. The resident population of biologists, airplane crew and maintenance staff are all very friendly. They open the bowling alley every Sunday and have volleyball tournaments on an epic beach every friday evening. Gameplay is frequently interrupted to allow an albatross pass or save a petrel that has been attracted to the lights. The beer is cheap and served out out of two bars on island. There is even a hotel where you stay.
The buildings are all decades old. Most of the bunkers used in the famous WWII battle are still up. Disused and neglected hangars are everywhere and piles of old war equipment are ready for pickup as soon as someone funds a barge to run up and grab them. This includes a free LCM to a good home that is currently up on blocks. The main hangar has a second story that is full of all sorts of Cold War era listening equipment, bunks and old filing cabinets. It is a real hoot to go digging through that stuff late at night. Really brings out the kid-like imagination.
The wildlife on land means birds. The most obvious residents are the thousands of albatross that call Midway home every year. Beyond that, equal numbers of shearwaters, petrels, and myriads of other species take up residence annually. Early summer (when this video was shot) is an exciting time to visit.
Of course with the flight of the birds comes tiger sharks. We saw 8 tigers in one week of working there. Other amazing sea creatures include the monk seals, dolphins and ulua. Oh God, the ulua are everywhere and fierce! We spent most of our time tow-boarding for marine debris and 60+ pound ulua would follow us for hours. In spite of the residents and constant attention by film-makers, much of the atoll underwater is still unexplored. We found an old plane wreck inside the lagoon that had yet to be documented.
Midway is an amazing place, thanks for letting me relive my time there through your post.
