Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kaho'olawe itself. En route to the island, their boats were stopped by a U.S. Coast
Guard helicopter. Nine landed and spend a few hours on the forbidden island before
being detained. The island of Kaho'olawe became a catalyst for change-something
that all native Hawaiian activists ralled around. The bombing finally ceased in 1990.
Some island residents believe that the the billions of dollars in real estate invest-
ments on the nearby Wailea shoreline made it stop. A political donation here, an old
friend from college there, and
voila!,
no more bombing.
Today the island of Kaho'olawe is owned by the state of Hawai'i, although it ex-
ists under the stewardship of organizations such as the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve
Commission and Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana. No commercial activities are permit-
ted on the island, and long-term goals such as clearing the island of ordnance and re-
planting native foliage have already begun. The U.S. Navy spent $400 million dol-
lars clearing the island of millions of pounds of military debris-the largest ordnance
removal in the nation's history, Despite these efforts, vast, unknown quantities of
debris remain. But there are also hundreds of recorded archaeological sites, ensur-
ing that Kaho'olawe will forever be dedicated to Hawaiian culture.
A seamount known as Lo'ihi is already believed to be the next Hawaiian island in the
long Pacific chain. Researchers estimate that the island of Lo'ihi will surface southeast of
the Big Island in 10,000 years.
Rivers and Lakes
Maui has no navigable rivers, but there are hundreds of streams. Two of the largest are
Palikea Stream,
which runs through Kipahulu Valley forming 'Ohe'o Gulch, and
'Iao
Stream,
which has sculpted the amazing monoliths in 'Iao Valley. A few reservoirs dot
the island, but the two largest natural bodies of water are the 41-acre
Kanaha Pond
on the
outskirts of Kahului and 500-acre
Kealia Pond
on the southern shore of the isthmus, both
major bird and wildlife sanctuaries. Be aware of the countless streams and rivulets that can
quickly turn from trickles to torrents, causing flash floods in valleys that were the height
of hospitality only minutes before.
