TRAVEL
Islets shelter seabirds, provide stunning views

• Neighbor Islands also full of jewels
• A guide to where you can and cannot go
• Some of Hawai'i's offshore islands (Graphic)

By Chris Oliver
Advertiser Staff Writer

Moku Nui, the larger of "The Mokes," off Kailua's Lanikai neighborhood. Kayaking to the islets when seas are calm is a popular activity. But paddlers should check weather conditions and keep to the O'ahu side of the islets. Advertiser library photos

An offshore frigate bird, or 'iwa, inflates his crop to enhance his attractiveness. 'Iwa are superb flyers and will snatch food from other birds in mid-air.

A black-footed albatross regurgitates food to feed her chick. The big birds glide on air currents and travel vast distances.

Sooty terns nest in great numbers on Manana and Mokumanu. They lay a single egg directly on the ground and are easily disturbed by humans.

Wraparound waves from the open ocean side converge in shallow waters at Moku Nui's landing beach, near the surf spot aptly named "Wraparounds," and in seconds can send an unsuspecting kayaker into a full-body lambada with the ocean floor.

No matter, once upright, the view along O'ahu's windward coastline is worth this minor, undignified setback.

From the Mokes, north past Popoi'a (Flat Island), a massive seastack, Mokumanu, towers off Ulupa'u Head at Mokapu. To the south, Manana (Rabbit Island), lies beyond the grand sweep of Bellows Beach and Waimanalo.

Dotting windward O'ahu's coastline, rockpiles, seastacks, islets and offshore islands are tantalizingly close. Mokoli'i (Chinaman's Hat) and Moku'auia (Goat Island) on O'ahu can be reached by waders at low tide when seas are calm. Others require surfboards, kayaks or a chartered boat to reach them. But many people don't realize that these islands also are sanctuaries for birds and other animals, and some are off-limits for humans.

To the casual observer, reveling in the quiet (except for cries of seabirds), there is little to suggest these islands' cataclysmic histories.

"We have two different kinds of offshore islands," said Greg Moore, University of Hawai'i geology professor. "The Mokulua islands are part of the summit caldera of the Ko'olau shield volcano that slid into the ocean in one or a series of massive landslides more than a million years ago."

In what scientists call the Nu'uanu Debris Avalanche, a landslide sheared off a third of O'ahu and swept material more than 140 miles north of O'ahu and Moloka'i.

Geologists estimate the Ko'olau shield volcano to have been about 25 miles across. "It would have been comparable to standing at the shoreline on the Big Island and looking up to the summit of Mauna Loa," Moore said.

To grasp the size of the "event," Moore suggests standing on Moku Nui and looking toward O'ahu. "The distance from Moku Nui across to Honolulu Harbor equals the amount of land behind you that is now missing," Moore said. "In fact, slabs — some as big as 19 miles by 11 miles — remain on the ocean floor.

"We also have tuff cones, younger islands formed by volcanic eruptions possibly a million years later, which created Manana, its neighbor Kaohikaipu (Turtle Island) and Mokumanu."

These old offshore islets of O'ahu and around the Neighbor Islands form the Hawai'i State Seabird Sanctuary, created to protect the thousands of seabirds who seek refuge in and around the main Hawaiian Islands. The sanctuary, administered by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife, exists to protect not only seabirds but also endangered native coastal vegetation. Those who set foot on any offshore island, state officials warn, should treat birds and plants with respect.

Because many of the bird species nesting on Manana, Mokumanu and neighboring islets are particularly sensitive to human disturbance, landing there is prohibited, but others islands remain accessible to visitors.

A guide to where you can and cannot go:

Manana (Rabbit Island), 67 acres, 200 feet high. Part of the state seabird sanctuary.

Bone dry with dramatic high sea cliffs, the island has a long sandy O'ahu-facing beach and a large volcanic crater that is home to thousands of shearwaters, petrels, noddies and other nesting seabirds. Landing on the island is prohibited. Ocean currents around Manana and its neighbor Kaohikaipu can suddenly turn treacherous.

The Mokulua Islets, 13 acres and 9 acres. Landing is legal only on Moku Nui, the one on the left as you face them from shore. Both islets are part of the state bird sanctuary. Visitors are restricted to the beach area so as not to step on seabird nests and burrows. There is a superb beach, an impressive double-hump peak and stunning offshore views. Surfers paddle there, but kayaking is the way to go. Rent a kayak from Twogood Kayaks, 345 Hahani, Kailua (262-5656) or Kailua Sailboards & Kayaks, 130 Kailua Road (262-2555). Single kayaks rent for $32 for a half day and $42 full day.

Popoi'a (Flat Island), 4 acres, a quarter mile off Kailua Beach. Part of the seabird sanctuary. Popular and easy to swim and kayak to and spot green turtles from. The islet is a nesting site during summer for wedge-tailed shearwaters. Visitors are asked to keep to the perimeter so as not to disturb nests and burrows. There is no beach except a tiny landing place big enough to haul a kayak up, and, as the name suggests, the island is absolutely flat. A small surf break on the south side is a popular place for beginners.

Mokoli'i (Chinaman's Hat). Close enough to shore at Kualoa Regional Park to reach by wading at low tide (make sure you have a tide timetable, so you can get back safely), Mokoli'i has a small peak, sea caves and two beaches, one in a secluded cove facing makai and hidden from the O'ahu shore. Or go by kayak. Deserted on weekdays, lightly populated during weekends.

Kane'ohe Sandbar. Size varies. When the tide goes out in Kane'ohe Bay, a sandbar emerges, forming low-lying temporary land. Protected by an offshore reef, Kane'ohe Bay waters are clear and calm, perfect for novice kayakers and small boats. Drop anchor, pull out a beach chair and a cold beer (even a hibachi) and enjoy panoramic views of Kane'ohe Bay. Directly out to sea, off the north end of Mokapu Peninsula, is Kekepa (Turtleback Island), part of the state seabird sanctuary. Several commercial outfits run snorkeling and dive tours to and around the sand bar inside Kane'ohe Bay from Hee'ia Pier (235-2192). Twogood Kayaks (262-5656) will deliver a kayak to you if arranged in advance.

Mokumanu, 16 1/2 acres, 225 feet high, off Mokapu Peninsula. This large seastack off Ulupa'u Head is part of the bird sanctuary and closed to visitors. A narrow, shallow passage through its center is often treacherous for kayakers. The dive site on the north side of Mokumanu includes a sea cave and is a tiger shark hangout.

Moku'auia, (Goat Island), 25 acres, 10 feet high, La'ie. Part of the state seabird sanctuary and an important nesting site for wedge-tailed shearwaters. The English name is a reference to an attempt by Lai'e residents to graze goats there. The islet is one of the most vulnerable because it's close to Malaekahana State Park. Visitors may be able to wade to the islet in calm weather.