Kauna’oa Point connects two beaches
This photo of four kiawe trees was taken while hiking between Hāpuna Beach and Mauna Kea Beach through the Kauna’oa Point. This hike is called the Ala Kahakai Trail, and it is located along the northwest coast of the big island of Hawai’i. Like almost every single coastal hike in Hawai’i, you’re hiking along a former lava field that has been slowly eroded by the ocean and populated by various shrubs, grasses, and trees. The barrenness of this landscape set against a backdrop of a tropical beach made me want to take this photo in black and white, as I find that black and white photos help bring out the drama and emotion of a landscape.
Kauna’oa Point connects two beaches: Hapuna Beach and Mauna Kea Beach, which is also known as Kauna’oa Beach. These are long sandy beaches that offer visitors a great place to enjoy the ocean, whether through swimming, waking, sunbathing, or otherwise taking in the idyllic scenery. Hāpuna Beach is about one-half mile long. It’s a great place to go for a swim, as the waters are clear and stay relatively shallow for the first few hundred feet from shore. If you snorkel there, you’ll be sure to see many coastal fishes. While I swam one day, I came across several rays, tangs, and sergeants.
Kauna’oa Beach is shorter and crescent shaped. It spans about one-quarter mile long. This is a great place to see manta rays at night. They will often come into the shallow water near the north end of the beach. The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, which sits along this beach, has a viewing area on the coast that makes it easy to see the rays.
Hiking between these two beaches, you’ll be sure to see the destructive and erosive force of the ocean. The lava rock has been eroded in some places such that the trail has been diverted multiple times. The kiawe trees that are in this photo are not native to Hawai’i. They are indigenous to South America. Kiawe trees were introduced to the islands of Hawai’i in 1827 by Father Alexis Bachelot, who was the leader of the first Catholic mission to the area. It is now a common tree on the islands and is even used for some reforestation projects.
Kiawe trees were introduced to the islands of Hawai’i in 1827
Did you know?
- The kiawe tree is so efficient at absorbing water that it will sometimes kill adjacent plants by starving them of water.
- There’s a company that offers manta ray night dives to allow you to see the rays in the water.
- Hāpuna Beach is inside of a state park. Check out the webcam that sists on top of the Westin Hāpuna Beach Resort and Spa: https://www.ozolio.com/explore/DHUH00000548
- The Ala Kahakai Trail along Kauna’oa Point is part of a 175-mile corridor along the coast of the big island of Hawai’i.
0 Comments