thumb|Aerial photo of Kaena from the west

thumb|Kaena Point as seen from Kāneana on the south shore near Mākua Cave

thumb|Panorama of the Kaena Point Trailhead, as seen from the east side of Oahu, past Mokule'ia Beach in 2013

Kaena Point is the westernmost tip of the island of Oahu. In Hawaiian, kaena means "the heat". The area was named after a brother or cousin of Pele. The point is designated as a Natural Area Reserve.

History

According to ancient Hawaiian folklore, Kaena Point is the "jumping-off" point for souls leaving this world.

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 by a tsunami in 1946. Parts of them are visible along the Ka'ena Point Trail.

Ecology

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

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)
  • 'Ahinahina (Achyranthes splendens)

Animals:

  • Hawaiian monk seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi)
  • Moli (Phoebastria immutabilis)
  • Yellow-faced bees (Hylaeus longiceps)

Preservation

thumb|alt=USFWS Director Dan Ashe entering Kaena Point State Park through a gate in the predator-proof fence|[[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|USFWS Director Dan Ashe entering Kaena Point State Park through a mantrap-style gate in the predator-proof fence.]]

In 2011, the United States' first predator-proof fence was constructed at Ka’ena Point, costing about $290,000. The fence is about 2,133 feet long (650 m), and encompasses of land. The population of wedge-tailed shearwater fledglings, Laysan albatross fledglings, ohia, sandalwood trees, and several other species has risen significantly.

Access

Ka'ena Point is a park and hiking site, and is also known for snorkeling. This spot has a white sandy beach that runs from Oahu's western tip to the Waiʻanae Range. A can be entered from Keawaula Beach or Mokuleia.

Until January 28, 1998, when professional surfer Ken Bradshaw was photographed riding a wave with a reported face, it was believed that Greg Noll's 1969 photo had shown the largest wave ever photographed. During that famous swell in January 1998, several people reported seeing waves with faces at Kaena Point.

References

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