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Kaʻena or Kaena Point is the westernmost tip of land on the island of Oʻahu. In Hawaiian, kaʻena means 'the heat'. The area was named after a brother or cousin of Pele. The point is designated as a Natural Area Reserve. Some ancient Hawaiian folklore states that Kaʻena Point is the "jumping-off" point for souls leaving this world.

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History

In Hawaiian, kaʻena means 'the heat'. The area was named after a brother or cousin of Pele who accompanied her from Kahiki. The State of Hawaiʻi has designated the point as a Natural Area Reserve to protect nesting Laysan Albatrosses and wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Hawaiian monk seals, and the fragile (to vehicular traffic) native strand vegetation that has been restored there.

Some ancient Hawaiian folklore states that Kaʻena Point is the "jumping-off" point for souls leaving this world.[1]

In 1899, the Oahu Railway and Land Company constructed a railway that encompassed 70 miles from Honolulu through Kahuku to transport sugarcane. Most of the tracks were destroyed due to a tsunami in 1946. Parts of the railroad tracks are visible along the Ka'ena point trail.[2]

Ecology

Ka'ena Point sustains an ecosystem that is home to many native Hawaiian plants and animals.[3]

Plants:

• ‘ohai (Sesbania tomentosa)
• naupaka kahakai (Scaevola sericea)
• ‘ilima papa (Sida falax)
• naio (Myoporum sandwicense)
• pa‘u-o-Hi‘iaka (Jacquemontia ovalifolia)
• ma‘o - Hawaiian cotton (Gossypium tomentosum)
• Ka‘ena ‘akoko (Chamaesyce celastroides var. kaenana)
• hinahina (Heliotropium anomulum)
• pohinahina (Vitex rotundifolia)
• nehe (Lipochaeta integrifolia)

Animals:

• Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi)
• moli (Diomedia immutabilis)
• Yellow Faced Bees (Hylaeus longiceps)

Preservation

In 2011, the United States' first predator proof fence was constructed at Ka’ena Point, costing about $290,000.[4] The fence is approximately 2,133-foot-long (650 m), and encompasses 59 acres (24 ha) of land.[5] The population of Wedge-tailed Shearwater fledglings, Laysan Albatross fledglings, Ohia, Sandalwood trees, and several other species has risen significantly.[6]

Access

Ka'ena Point is a park and hiking site, and is also known for snorkeling. This spot has a white sandy beach that begins from the western tip of Oahu to the Waianae Mountains. A 5-mile trail (8.0 km) can be entered from Keawaula Beach or Mokuleia.[6]

During the winter months, Oʻahu's North Shore is typically bombarded by large, powerful waves that attract surfers from around the world. It is rumored that Kaʻena Point typically has waves (up to 15 metres or 49 feet in height) larger than those at Waimea Bay, one of Oʻahu's world-famous surfing locations. This has not been confirmed; however, during the famous "Swell Of The Century" in 1969 and on the day of Greg Noll's famous wave at Mākaha, Greg himself took a picture of a gigantic wave breaking at Kaʻena Point. Until "Biggest Wednesday" on 28 January 1998, when professional surfer Ken Bradshaw was photographed riding a wave with a reported 85-foot (26 m) face, it was believed that Noll's picture showed the largest wave ever photographed. During that famous swell in January 1998, several persons reported seeing waves with 60–80-foot (18–24 m) faces at Kaʻena Point.

References

External links

• Official website
• Ka‘ena Point Ecosystem Restoration Project, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources

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