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[ad_1] A pond in Hawaii has turned so bubble-gum pink it could be from the set of "Barbie," but the bizarre phenomenon is no cause for a dance party. Drought may be to blame for the strange hue, scientists say, and they're warning against entering the water or drinking it. Staff at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on Maui have been monitoring the pink water since Oct. 30. "I just got a report from somebody that was walking on the beach, and they called me up like, 'There's something weird going on over here,'" said Bret Wolfe, the refuge manager. This Nov. 8, 2023, photo provided by Leslie Diamond shows the pond at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on Maui, Hawaii, that turned pink on Oct. 30, 2023. Leslie Diamond / AP Wolfe was concerned the bright pink could be a sign of an algae bloom, but lab tests found toxi...

[ad_1] After  wildfires on Maui killed over 100 people  and destroyed the historic town of  Lahaina , officials told people looking to travel to the Hawaiian island to stay away. Now, as the economic toll of the fires grows, that message has changed.  West Maui is losing about $9 million a day, and the rest of the island is feeling the impact. Gina Dello, a cafe owner in South Maui, said that business at her establishment came to a screeching halt in the wake of the fires.  "We have probably lost three quarters of our business," said Dello, whose cafe is about 25 miles from Lahaina.  The cafe is across the street from a beach, surrounded by surf and scuba shops, and Dello said that less tourist spending has had a "huge" impact. Typically, around 3 million tourists visit Maui each year, spending about $5.4 billion dollars in total, according to Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Before the ...

[ad_1] Professional surfer Mikala Jones died Sunday after a surfing accident in Indonesia, his father told The Associated Press. Friends, family and members of the surfing community took to social media to mourn the loss of Jones, who was known for shooting stunning photos and videos from inside barreling waves. Daughter Isabella "Bella" Jones posted a touching tribute to her father on Instagram, saying "he was doing what he loved the most" before he died.  "I love you so much dad and i wish i could give you one last hug," she wrote. "This is too soon."  The post accompanied a carousel of images of Isabella and her father throughout the years: on a surfboard or just on the water.  "Thank you for teaching me so many life lessons, and always being there for me,"  she wrote.  Mikala Jones at Surf Ranch in Lemoore, Calif., in 2019. Jones, a Hawaii surfer known for shootin...