Friday, August 03, 2018

 

A Most Beautiful Bay

This is Hanauma Bay on the southeast coast of Oahu. It is one of the prettiest bays that this small bear has ever seen, so much so that I escaped the family photo by hiding behind the wall so that I could concentrate on the scenery. The bay is actually inside the crater of one of the last of the volcanoes that built Oahu. It is around 32,000 years since the volcano died and since then erosion by wind, rain and waves has cut an opening into the ocean side and the crater flooded. Since the earliest Polynesian settlers arrived in Hawaii the bay has been a recreational area, sometimes restricted to use by Hawaiian royalty only. Today it is one of the most popular beaches in Hawaii, so popular that visitor numbers are strictly controlled to protect the coral reef. The snorkeling here is some of the best in the Hawaiian islands. If you want to visit the bay you have to get there early as the gates close as soon as the carpark is full. The beach is closed on Tuesdays, to give the fish a break from the tourists. You have to watch a short film on the care and conservation of the reef before you can go down to the beach. Of course, many film scenes have been shot here; look for the bay in just about any film or TV series with a Hawiian theme (even old Elvis movies). We didn't get down to the beach this time because we were aiming to see every pretty spot on the east and north coasts, but maybe next time (I am not finished with Hawaii).

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