All my life, I have been told that Hawaii’s volcanoes are of the peaceful type. They produce breath-taking fountains of lava and flow to the ocean via lava tubes or awe inspiring, cascading rivers of super heated rock towards the sea. Now, I’ve learned that this is not the case.
I just read a report from the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, stating that Kilauea actually has a history of prolonged periods of explosive eruptions! As a matter of fact, there are longer periods of explosive eruptions than peaceful interludes, such as Hawaii has experienced for the last couple of hundred years.
They also report that the explosive eruptions could resume at any time because they have no way of predicting any sort of timetable. From 500 to 200 years ago, it was primarily the explosive type of volcanic activity that marked Kilauea’s eruptions.
To quote from an article written by David Perlman and published on SFGate.com (San Francisco Chronicle):
“Eruptions and flows
“The geologic record shows that Kilauea’s activity has been marked by a period dominated by frequent lava flows from about 2,500 to 2,200 years ago, followed by a long period of explosive eruptions that continued for about the next 1,200 years; then another 500 years of lava flows, followed by about 300 years of eruptions, and then by more lava flows that continue today.
More than 100 radiocarbon observations, based on charcoal from the mountain’s burned vegetation, have established the dates, Swanson said.” [Donald Swanson of the U.S. Geological Survey and director of the Hawaii Volcano Observatory.]
He went on to say,
The lava flows are building up the volcano’s summit now, he said, and each period of violent eruptions creates and deepens the volcano’s circular crater, called the caldera. When even a small eruption is about to occur, he said, the bottom of the caldera sinks slightly. So its level is recorded daily as a possible sign that an eruption is due.
“The good news is that we are currently in a period of frequent lava flows, and the hazard of explosive eruptions is small,” Swanson said. “The bad news is that we don’t know when the next period of deep caldera and explosive eruptions will start. We know too little to estimate recurrence intervals.”
So, I guess your perception of Kilauea and the volcanoes in Hawaii has been changed along with my own. It won’t take away from the magnificence of watching Madam Pele [Goddess of the Volcano] at work, but it does give me pause and gratitude for not having to worry about the explosive eruptions that have occurred in the past. That could change, of course, but I’d like to believe that this peaceful phase will last for at least another couple of hundred years!
While the many vendor stalls and wagons may still sit in their usual spots, the vendors and merchandise that once made the International Marketplace a favorite of many visitors and locals alike – are gone. December 31, 2013 marked the last day for this iconic location and while there are a few storefronts still open along Kalakaua Avenue, they too, will close their doors for the final time at the end of January.
For those who may not have been aware, the Queen Emma Foundation, owners of the land, has opted to replace the International Marketplace with an upscale mall, anchored by Saks. Viewed from a strictly economic view, this decision makes sense in terms of the increase in dollars that will be generated which can be put to use towards the Queen Medical Center’s west facility. You can read more about this controversial decision here in an earlier post.
My kids used to always look forward to spending a couple of hours navigating the carts and stores, looking for hidden bargains away from the glitz and glamor of Waikiki. I think that was the attraction of the International Marketplace for the majority of people. With its demise, we lose another uniquely Hawaiian experience.
There may even be a small number of people who would say that the removal of the aged International Marketplace is a good thing from an aesthetics point of view. And, yes, many of the structures were long over do to be replaced, but the true value of this iconic shopping area is probably more nostalgic than practical. It represents a simpler time before Waikiki became a concrete, metal, and glass jungle, when the Pink Castle (aka Royal Hawaiian Hotel) was a visible landmark…from the street, not just the ocean.
If its any consolation, it is my understanding that both the Monkeypod tree and the International Marketplace sign will be spared and will be incorporated into the new mall landscaping. I wonder it they’ll also keep the koi pond?
International Marketplace Sign
I guess this is more of a personal loss for many of us who will miss this Waikiki landmark, but I do believe that more people will miss this more laid-back venue than those who are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Saks. The cost of progress seems disproportionately high, but economics rule. It just seems Waikiki has turned into just another shopping mecca, similar to many of those found throughout the US…except, of course, for the tropical setting.
I guess we should be happy that the Pink Palace and the Hilton Rainbow Tower still stand as Waikiki landmarks. Hopefully, they will remain recognizable for the foreseeable future.
Aloha oi International Marketplace! You can look for the new mall and Saks sometime in 2015.
Update: The new projected opening date for the new upscale mall is spring 2016.
For those of you who have been out of touch for the last 48-hours or so, new volcanic activity within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park over the weekend has caused the park to close off an area within 1 mile of the eruptions.
Activity within Halemaumau Crater has been on-going for the last week or two and continues today. The most active site over the last several years has been Pu’u ‘O’o Crater and has increased its activity, as well as a break-out of activity along the Kilauea east rift-line about 1.25-2 miles to the west.
Previous outbreaks of activity have recently been to the east side of Pu’u ‘O’o Crater, but currently, there is no activity to the east. And, to the disappointment of many, there is also no flow into the sea presently.
Lava fountains reaching 100′ high have been reported, although it appears to have settled down in the 35-65’ range.
This is a view from a temporary webcam set up by the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, overlooking Halemaumau Crater. It does breakdown and is not always repaired immediately, so you may not see anything. (Keep in mind the time difference, if it appears dark there. And, this is a good time to mention that Hawaii does not observe Daylight Savings Time, so time difference between Hawaii and the east coast will be 6-hours, as of Sun, March 13.)
This is the site for Pu’u ‘O’o crater, again, set up by the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, facing the south wall of the crater. Again, due to its remote location, breakdowns in the equipment is common and is not repaired immediately.
When you leave the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you will be turning to the left to continue your circle the island drive. Just a few miles down the road, if you turn right at the sign that directs you to the golf course, you will find the Volcano Winery.
I doubt that this little winery will ever make the top 20 of wineries to visit, but its a nice break and the wines are pretty good and better yet, affordable. If nothing else, you may want to consider a bottle or two as gifts, rather than the anticipated pineapple you might have been considering!
About 30 minutes further along Hwy 19 (aka Mamalahoa Hwy), you will come to Punaluu Beach Park, black sand beach. Its just a short mile off the highway and odds are excellent that you will also be able to view some Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles sunning themselves on the black sand or feeding in the shallows.
Punaluu Beach State Park, Big Island
Endangered Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle
Its a nice place for a picnic, but make sure you bring lunch with you because you won’t find any food vendors in the area. If a picnic fits in your timeline, you may want to plan on stopping at Pahala, a small town about 6 miles back towards the Volcanoes National Park, to pick up some sandwiches or something.
Further along Hwy 19, you will come to the town of Naalehu, “The Southernmost Community in the USA, is their claim to fame. You will also find the Punaluu Bakery…it got its start at Punaluu, but moved to Naalehu years ago. You may have even seen some of their baked goods, particularly their sweetbreads, in stores around the island. My favorites are the regular and guava flavored sweetbreads.
About 15 minutes further along and you will come to the turn off that will take you down to the coast at Ka Lae (aka South Point). Its about 8 miles down and most of it through some pretty barren, windswept grasslands.
You have now reached THE southernmost point of the US! Next stop…Antarctica! I have an article located elsewhere on this blog on South Point, so I’ll leave this description brief. I will mention that Papakolea, the green sand beach is located nearby, requiring a 4.5 mile rd-trp hike to get there, so you want to make sure you’ve planned ahead and brought water, sunscreen, and a hat, if you plan on going.
South Point looking towards the northwest, Big Island
Papakolea (Green Sand) Beach, Big Island, Hawaii
Once back on Hwy 19 and headed back northward, you have about an hour’s drive until you reach Kailua-Kona. This drive includes some of the twistiest and narrowest roads you have been on so far. Locals will try to blow-by you as you maintain the 35 mph speed limit, but its much safer to go slow, especially when you’re not familiar with the roads.
There are places to stop and visit along the way as you get closer to Kailua-Kona; coffee outlets, Puuhonua o Honaunau (Place of Refuge), and I’ll be posting another article with more things to see and do in the Kona area in the near future.
As you can see, its a huge mistake to try and make this trip in one-day! I would encourage you to plan on spending at least a full-day exploring the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park! There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world!
As a matter of fact, if you only visited ONE PLACE on your entire visit to Hawaii…this should probably be it. Think about it. Where else can you see an active volcano/lava flow, lush tropical rainforests, innumerable birds found nowhere else on earth, Hawaiian petroglyphs, and find hiking trails ranging from easy to challenging, all in one locale?
I also strongly suggest you visit my website at www.myhawaiionline.com to learn more about the activities and places to go, as well as find links to several of the more popular ones.
Night Diving or Snorkeling With The Manta Rays in Kona
With almost two dozen different outfits offering night diving/snorkeling outings in Kailua-Kona, you can see just how popular this experience has become. The Manta ray encounters along the Kona coast began back in the early 70’s; a hotel called the “Kona Surf” had bright lights that shined into the ocean and mantas were attracted almost nightly. Scuba operators taking advantage of this, began doing night dives. While the location gave a reliable chance to see them, the spot was not as reliable because of its vulnerability to large waves and weather.
In 1999, the Kona Surf Hotel closed and the lights were turned off. The Manta rays found a new spot to congregate in a bay near the Kona airport where plankton concentrated in the late afternoon sun. This is the spot where most Manta rays appear to be going on a regular basis and this bay offers a much more protected location from ocean swells.
And, in a somewhat symbiotic relationship, divers and snorkelers use strong lights to attract plankton, which in turn attract the Manta rays, which feed primarily on plankton, thus providing the divers/snorkelers the show they desire. In the video above, the water is not murky, those are millions of plankton that appear as specks in the light. Since the Manta rays know that this occurs nightly, they tend to show up regularly with over 90% of outings successful. It may be just a single Manta ray or it maybe a gathering of over 40.
Just about all of the operators offer a guarantee that if you do not encounter any Manta rays during your night dive, you can try again at no charge. A point to keep in mind is that anyone who goes out on a boat, will be charged the full amount…regardless of whether or not they plan on getting in the water. Likewise, everyone is charged, regardless of age. While most operators do not have a minimum age, leaving it to parental discretion, a minimum age of 12 years old is suggested.
Swim With The Manta Rays, a most memorable experience!
The nightly dives with resident Manta rays in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, has been rated one of the top 10 experiences in the world! Even the most seasoned traveler find it to be a memorable experience. One of the great appeals is that this experience is not limited to certified scuba divers, although certification is required if you do wish to scuba dive. Even those with minimal swimming abilities can enjoy this experience utilizing floating devices and snorkels. Check with the individual vendors.
As a matter of fact, even those who can’t swim or simply don’t want to be in the water with these gentle giants, can still partake in this by going out on the Spirit of Kona, a glass-bottom boat that offers Manta ray cruises on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. You can observe these graceful giants of the sea without getting wet. You can take pictures, videos, and watch as they often approach within inches of the observation glass. (Make your reservations online thru the link above and get a $10 discount.)
Manta Ray Facts
The word ‘Manta’ is Spanish for cloak, referring to their large, blanket-shaped bodies. In Hawaiian, they are called hāhalua.
Resident Manta rays grow up to 16′ across, wingtip to wingtip. The Manta rays in Kona average 8-14′, with the largest recorded at 16′.
They are considered “near threatened”, which means that they are in danger of becoming an extinct species in the near future. There are two small resident populations of Manta rays in Hawaii under observation. One of the populations, 176 individual Manta’s have been identified, is in Kona. The other is located near Maui and contains about 300.
Individual Manta rays can be identified by their unique marking patterns on their undersides. Similar to fingerprints, no two Manta rays have the same markings.
Manta rays are often called “the butterflies of the sea” … they are shy, harmless, and, as the video captured, quite graceful. They do not have any stinging spines on their tail. They don’t bite or chew. Their mouths are designed like a giant funnel to filter plankton; swimming with them is completely safe for both humans and for the Manta rays. They truly are gentle giants.
Manta rays are particularly vulnerable to extinction as they take a long time to reach maturity and they reproduce a single offspring every two or three years. Hawaii has taken the precaution of banning the capture and/or killing of Manta Rays within Hawaiian waters.
Although Manta rays may approach within inches of divers and snorkelers, it is best not to reach out and touch them. It has been observed that where touched, they develop sores which take a long time to heal. The belief is that touching them removes their mucus protective covering and allows infections to develop. So, please keep this in mind when you make your night dive among the Manta rays in Kona.
For the next 6-weeks, the world of surfing will be focused on the north shore of Oahu and hoping that the winter waves will cooperate and send those monster winter waves that have made Hawaii so famous. Last year was a tough one in that regard, as the number of days with no waves far outnumbered the days that were surf-able.
Starting tomorrow, all eyes will be on Haleiwa, site of the first leg of the Triple Crown commences. Over the following 11-days, surfers hope that they will encounter at least 4-days of decent sets that will allow them to score points. You can get a sense for the fickleness of these winter waves by the very fact that they allow 11-days, hoping to get 4 with waves big enough to compete on.
After a break for Thanksgiving, the second leg is held at Sunset Beach. Once again, surfers have 12-days to anticipate 4-days with waves large enough to qualify as surf-able. After all, you can’t very well have a world class surfing competition on waves that only reach 3-5′ in height.
The third and final leg of the Triple Crown of Surfing is held from December 8th thru the 20th at the famous Banzai Pipeline. Another 12-days of waiting out the best 3-days of surfing. With a total cash payout of over $800,000, there is some serious money at stake.
If you happen to be fortunate enough to be on Oahu during this 6-week period, make it a point to catch some of this action, especially if you happen to be there when the surf’s up! Even if you’re not a surfer, it will still put you in awe to see the world’s best surfers put on a show!
VENUE
Reef Hawaiian Pro
November 12-23 (on the 4 best days of surf in the period)
Haleiwa Ali’i Beach Park
$145,000 prize purse
Defending Champion: Joel Parkinson, Australia
Vans World Cup of Surfing
November 25-December 6 (on the 4 best days of surf in the period)
Sunset Beach
$250,000 prize purse
Defending Champion: Raoni Monteiro, Brazil
Billabong Pipe Masters
December 8-20 (on the 3 best days of surf in the period)
Banzai Pipeline
$425,000 prize purse + Nixon watch
Defending Champion: Jeremy Flores, France
Also decides Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champion – $10,000 bonus
I will add that this fall has seen a large number of days that the National Weather Service and NOAA have issued high surf warnings, so all-in-all, I anticipate a great 2011 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing competition!
Oops! I apologize for my oversight and it may be too late for you to acquire tickets to this highly anticipated event. This year’s tickets went on sale on December 27th and prices range from $5 to $30 per person, depending on the dates and seat location.
For those unfamiliar, the Merrie Monarch Festival is held in honor of King David Kalakaua, aka the Merrie Monarch. It was during his reign (1874-1891) as the last King of Hawaii, that he made a concerted effort to revive native Hawaiian song and dance, which had been banned by the missionaries.
This world renown competition draws competitors from several countries annually and is recognized for its contribution to culture and arts. It includes art exhibits, craft fairs, demonstrations, performances, and a parade that emphasizes the cultures of Hawaii.
The festival itself usually begins on Easter Sunday and this year will run from April 24th through the 30th. The actual hula competitions are held the last three days of the festival.
One last point, whether or not you intend on attending the demonstrations and exhibits or the actual competition, if you plan on being on the Big Island during that time frame, you’ll want to make sure to reserve your room and car well in advance. Rental cars in particular are very hard to come by during the festival…even if you’re staying in Kona, on the other side of the island. Consider yourself warned.
Well, it seems Europe’s Ryanair is at it again. If you remember this low-cost carrier, just about a year ago, announced plans to charge $1.50 to use the bathrooms. See my previous post regarding added fees the airlines were implementing late last year.
Since the public revolted at the proposed bathroom fee, they dropped it. However, here’s the latest plan announced by Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, (since people won’t pay to use the bathroom…they’re going to remove them! Yep, you read that right…) they plan on leaving just 1 bathroom per plane.
By removing two bathrooms, Ryanair can add up to 6 more seats per plane. Of course, that also means that up to 189 passengers on some of their Boeing 737’s will all have to share that 1 remaining bathroom! While I jokingly anticipated the “fee toilets” as an added airline fee when they started charging for blankets and pillows, I must admit I did not foresee this.
Can you imagine the line of people trying to get into that one available toilet? What if someone was sick? What if that toilet went out of order? The offset to this move according to Mr. O’Leary, is that fares should come down 5%. Do you think this is a back-door way of re-selling the pay-toilet scheme? I can see his next move as announcing that in response to the public uproar, they will leave the plane configurations as is, but will re-institue the idea of charging $1.50 to use the available restrooms, calling it the lesser of two evils.
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