Kaʻena Point, Oʻahu


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
  • naupaka kahakai
  • ‘ilima papa
  • naio
  • pa‘u-o-Hi‘iaka
  • ma‘o - Hawaiian cotton
  • Ka‘ena ‘akoko
  • hinahina
  • pohinahina
  • nehe
  • 'Ahinahina
Animals:
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, 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.