The Hawaiian Islands

Kauai at left and Ni`ihau at right from space

The Hawaiian island chain is among the most isolated in the world. It's about 2,550 miles from Los Angeles and 3,850 miles to Tokyo. Its isolation has played a huge part in the development of this unique culture.

The chain consists of as many as 132 islands, atolls, shoals and reefs, which stretches over 1,600 miles in the Pacific. This archipelago began to form millions of years ago, and is still growing, as evidenced by the 20-year eruption of Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawai`i. Of these 132 islands, eight of the most southeastern are inhabited and are considered to make up the State of Hawai`i.

In June 2006, President Bush signed the Northwestern Hawaiian Island Marine National Monument, which created the largest protected marine monument in the world. It covers almost 140,000 square miles and is home to more than 7,000 species, one-quarter of which are found only in this area. More important, it's also home to the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal. There are only between 1,200 and 1,400 left of this amazing animal in the world and most reside here. This area also serves as the breeding ground for 90% of the Hawaiian green sea turtle population.

The northernmost inhabited island, Ni`ihau is located 17 miles off the west coast of Kaua`i. Ni`ihau is the smallest of the main Hawaiian Islands, with a land area of 70 square miles and a population of about 250, almost all of whom are Native Hawaiian. You can see Ni`ihau from the south and west shores of Kaua`i.

The island was offered for sale by King Kamehameha IV in 1863 and was purchased by Elizabeth Sinclair for $10,000. Mrs. Sinclair turned the entire island into a cattle and sheep ranch, before moving back to Kaua`i. Today, Ni`ihau is still privately owned by the descendents of Helen Sinclair Robinson, with the US Navy also keeping a presence there for weapons testing.

Because of the limited access, the island has remained immune to the influences of modern civilization. Hawaiian is the primary language here and there are none of the modern conveniences - no paved roads, cars, hotels, restaurants. Each family grows their own fruits and vegetables and the ranch still raises beef and mutton.

What Ni`ihau is well-known for is the incredibly rare Ni`ihau shell-lei. These intricate necklaces are hand-sewn from tiny shells that are found only on this island. These are the only shells that are considered to be gems. The shells come in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, orange and blue.

Want to see Ni`ihau for yourself? There's a reason why Ni`ihau is known as The Forbidden Island. Access is extremely limited. People who have lived on Kaua`i for years and grew up in the shadows of Ni`ihau have never set foot on the island. Access to the island is restricted to only family members, US Navy personnel, government officials and invited guests.

But there are ways to visit Ni`ihau. Ni`ihau Helicopters (www.niihau.org, tel. 1-877-441-3500) offers three-hour helicopter tours on a very limited basis for $300. You can also go on a full-day hunting excursion, shooting at pigs and sheep. Prices start at $1,650, not including a Hawai`i hunting license and rifle rental.

There are snorkeling and diving tours off the coast of Ni`ihau as well, but those do not make landfall. Hololo Charters also offers snorkeling off the northernmost tip of Ni`ihau (tel. 1-877-678-7333 or 808-572-7333, adventureinhawaii.com/kauai_niihau.htm).

Kaua`i itself is the second-oldest inhabited Hawaiian Island, with a population of approximately 62,000. Kaua`i is considered to be a rather rural island, as it's kept its focus on preserving the natural beauty of the island, as opposed to the major development seen on other islands over the past few years. That's the primary reason residents of the other islands consider Kaua`i their favorite. However, like the rest of Hawai`i today, it's growing at an astronomical pace. Real estate is booming and tourism is way, way up.

The Island of O`ahu is the third-oldest island and geographically, the third-largest at 607 square miles. It's home to nearly three-quarters of the state's 1.275 million residents, most living in and around the city of Honolulu. Honolulu serves as the county seat, the state capital, and the center of business and industry in the Islands. Honolulu Harbor is the lifeline for all the Islands. Most of Hawai`i's food and manufactured goods must be imported and distributed through this port. O`ahu is also home to Waikiki beach, the world-renowned waves of the North Shore and military bases such as Pearl Harbor.

Next is Maui, with a population of 126,000. The second-largest of the populated Hawaiian Islands, Maui also boasts the second-largest population in the state, behind O`ahu. Haleakala, which translates as house of the sun, is the largest dormant volcano in the world. Not yet extinct, it is expected to erupt sometime in the next 200 years (it last erupted in 1790).

Maui

Formed by six, possibly seven, different volcanoes, the islands of Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i and Kaho'olawe were once a single island called Maui Nui. Rising sea levels eventually separated the islands, though, as a group, they are still called Maui County. The valleys that once connected Maui, Moloka`i Lana`i and Kaho'olawe are shallow, which makes for a great marine environement. It's also a major spot for tourists, especially for folks from the mainland US and Canada. The Valley Isle boasts several fun towns, such as Lahaina (especially on Halloween), Ka`anapali and Wailea.

Moloka`i is the Friendly Isle. Located nearly at the center of the Hawaiian Island chain, it is about two million years old. From the eastern end of the island, it's only eight miles across the Pailolo Channel to Maui. The population is estimated at 8,000 residents, half of whom live in or near the primary town of Kaunakakai. Nearly 40% of the residents of Moloka`i are of Hawaiian descent.

The island is probably best-known as a former leper colony. In the mid-1800s leprosy (today called Hansen's Disease) was brought to Hawai`i by Chinese who came to labor in the sugar cane fields. Many Hawaiians were stricken with the disease and, since there was then no cure for the disease, strict isolation was the only means available to keep the it from spreading.

In 1866 the first sufferers were banished to Kalaupapa, a small peninsula on the north side of Moloka`i. A Belgian priest named Father Damien came to Moloka`i in 1873 to minister to the needs of the dying. Through his ministry and labors, order was created where there had been only suffering and chaos. Father Damien succumbed to the disease himself in 1889.

Lana`i is appropriately named the Pineapple Island - a throwback to its days as an island-wide pineapple plantation. Jim Dole bought the island for $1 million in 1888 from the Hawaiian Kingdom. Lana`i is the sixth-largest of the eight main Hawaiian Islands with an area of 140 square miles. It is home to a mere 5,000 residents, most of whom live in Lana`i City. Although agriculture and ranching are still a vital part of Lana`i's economy, the island is now primarily known as an upscale tourist destination, offering two five-star resorts - The Manele Bay Hotel and The Lodge at Ko`ele. Nowadays, the pineapple crops have waned and tourism has taken over.

Off to the southwest of Maui is Kaho`olawe (pronounced ka-ho-oh-lahv-eh). It's the smallest of the eight main islands. There are no permanent residents, nor are visitors permitted on the island. Kaho`olawe is a prime example of the sometimes contentious relationship between the Native Hawaiian movement and the US government. Once a penal colony in the mid-1800s, Kaho`olawe became a ranch in the late 1800s.

The ranch was failing and, in May of 1941, the ranch owners leased the land to the US Navy. Of course, Pearl Harbor happened the following December, at which point the US declared martial law and took outright control of the island.

In 1993, the US government approved a $400 million clean-up fund for Kaho`olawe, and in 1994 the island was officially returned to Hawai`i. However, the federal government retained control of access to the island. It wasn't until 2003 that the State of Hawai`i gained complete control of the island. In April of 2004, the Navy ended the 10-year clean-up of the island and the Kaho`olawe Island Reserve Commissions (KIRC). The island is still contaminated, however, and still contains an unknown amount of unexploded devices.

Hawai`i

Last but certainly not least, there's the island of Hawai`i. The Orchid Isle covers 4,028 square miles, roughly the size of Connecticut. To alleviate any confusion between the State of Hawai`i and the island of Hawai`i, the island is referred to as the Big Island. When most folks visit Hawai`i, they think of O`ahu as being the Big Island. While O`ahu does hold most of the state's population, the Big Island earned its name by sheer size. It's twice the size of size of all of the other major islands combined and it's still growing due to the volcanic eruption of Kilauea. The Big Island is home to the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, which is held every October. Kilauea Caldera is the longest continuously erupting volcano in the world, with the present eruption going back to 1983.

History

In the beginning, there was water. About 20 million years ago, the Hawaiian archipelago was formed by a hot spot beneath the Pacific Tectonic Plate. Islands rise and fall as the archipelago moves slowly to the northwest. As the chain moves, the oldest islands erode and fade into their roots in the ocean, while the newest island, Loihi, is slowly forming 15 miles from the Big Island.

Did you know? The Hawaiian Island Chain moves about 3½ inches per year.

Kaua`i was formed approximately five million years ago. No one can say when the first plants arrived on the island, but it's suspected that, over a period of a million years, roughly 240 species of plants bloomed on the island. The spores and seeds arrived via birds or wind currents. They evolved to the point that, by the time the first Polynesians arrived, there were some 1,300 species.

Polynesian Settlers