Kakahaia Beach at a Glance
Kakahaia Beach Park is a small roadside park located on
Highway 450 on Molokai’s south coast and is also popularly
known as the Kakahaia County Park and National Wildlife
Refuge. The name Kakahaia means "fish slicing" in Hawaiian.
It's the name of an ancient inland fishpond. However, the pond is overgrown with bullrushes and is not in use today.
Kakahaia Beach is a narrow, detrital sand beach and is not suitable for swimming or snorkeling because the ocean bottom is rocky, shallow and the water generally murky. It's
primarily visited by fishermen and picnickers. However,
a good thing to do here is bird watching, since part of
the beach is actually a bird sanctuary. The National Wildlife
Refuge, where the beach is located, is home to the Hawaiian
Stilt and the Hawaiian Coot. These birds are an endangered
Hawaiian native species.
The Hawaiian Stilt - also known as the Ae'o - is a slim,
wading bird that has a black and white forehead. There used
to be a lot of these birds in existence, but today their
number has dropped down to a tragic 1,500. The Hawaiian
Coot, or the Fulica Alai, is usually dark gray in color
and the male and female species look alike. They are usually
found in lowland valleys. Today, there are an estimated
2,000 to 4,000 Hawaiian Coots in existence all over the
Hawaiian Islands. So when you visit Kakahaia Beach, be
sure to bring those binoculars because you're in for a treat!
Kakahaia Beach in Bullet Points
- Small roadside park that's primarily used by fishermen
- Rocky and very shallow nearshore ocean bottom makes
swimming difficult
- Good beach for bird watching
Kakahaia Beach Facilities (top)
- Picnic tables
- No lifeguards
Kakahaia Beach Water Activities
Kakahaia Beach Location
Address: E. Kamehameha V Hwy, Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748
Kakahaia Beach Map (top)
Loading...
Kakahaia Beach Weather (top)
Now
65°F
Windchill:
65°F
Light Rain
|
Location: Kaunakakai, HI, US
Wind: 13 mph N
Humidity: 75%
Visibility: 0.1 mi
Pressure: 30.04 in steady
Sunrise: 6:33 am
Sunset: 6:39 pm
|
Fri
Hi: 75°F
Low: 66°F
Partly Cloudy
|
Sat
Hi: 77°F
Low: 68°F
Partly Cloudy
|
Kakahaia Beach Photos (click to enlarge)
(top)
Kakahaia Beach Reviews and Comments
(top)
Safety Tip
Whatever beach in Hawaii you visit, please have in mind that the ocean can
be very dangerous. Never turn your back against the waves and watch out for underwater
currents and always check the surf conditions. Pay attention to signs posted on
the beach. If you are not sure about the conditions, ask the lifeguards (if any
on the beach). Please
click here to
read more about ocean safety in Hawaii.
|
