To see a chart which shows the total coastlines, area in square miles, names and altitudes of the highest elevations and populations of each of the major Hawaiian Islands, go to the Hawaii Statistics Page or click here.
The Hawaiian Islands were all formed by volcanoes that erupted above the surface of the ocean beginning in a pattern that goes southeast from the oldest to the youngest islands. The first and oldest island is Kure in the extreme northwest portion of the Hawaiian archipelago. Nearby Midway Atoll was the second Hawaiian volcano to break the surface of the ocean and it lies over one thousand-two hundred miles miles northwest of the eight major Hawaiian islands. Stretching more than twelve hundred miles from Midway to Niihau are over 130 small islands, atolls, islets and shoals which begin the expanse which is almost 1,600 miles from Kure in the northwest corner to the Big Island of Hawaii in the southeast corner. To see a map of the entire Hawaiian Archipelago click here. The most significant of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are Kure Atoll, Midway Islands, Maro Reef, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Lisianski Island, Laysan Island, Gardner Pinnacles, French Frigate Shoals, Necker Island and Nihoa Island. To view topographic maps, bathymetric maps and photos of each of those islands, go the Leeward Islands Page or click here. The smaller islands closest to the eight major Hawaiian Islands, which are the youngest in the Hawaiian chain, are Nihoa and Kaula which are nearest to Niihau in the extreme northwest portion of the eight major Hawaiian islands. To see a photo of Kaula only, click here. To see a map of the eight major Hawaiian Islands from north to south as well as west to east, click here. To visit The Islands Page for the 8 major Windward Islands of Hawaii, click here.
To view a map of the 17 principle volcanoes in the 8 Windward Hawaiian Islands where inactive volcanoes are designated by triangles and the active volcanoes are indicated by circles, click here.
Topographic & Bathymetric Map
Click for Widescreen Wallpaper
• To view a widescreen wallpaper bathymetric map and Topographic map combined into one map of the 8 major Windward Hawaiian Islands also known as the Southestern Hawaiian Islands, showing both the depths below the ocean and the elevations above sea level and, click here. Map by Drew Kapp courtesy University of Hawaii at Hilo. In looking at the map, it is easy to see some of the striking differences in both the depth of waters surrounding the islands, but particularly in the elevations of different parts of single islands. For instance the dominance of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii; the massiveness of Haleakala on eastern Maui versus western Maui and how the eastern portion of Molokai has high elevations compared to western Molokai.
It is noteworthy that many people misspell Hawaii as Hawaai, Hawaaii, Hawai, Howaii, Hawaje Hawaiia, hawiaii Hawii and Hwaii and Hawaiian as Hawaaian, Hawaaiin, Hawaaiian, Hawaain, Hawan, Hawian, Hawaian, Hawaiaan, Hawiian, Hawiin, Hawiain, Hawain, haiwain, Hawaiin, Hawaiiwan, hawiaiin, hawaiaiin, Hawaiiaanse taal, Hawaiien, Hawaiienne, Hawaiiaanse, and Hawaiis.
• The Leeward or Northwestern Islands of Hawaii combined, including Nihoa and Lehua have only 32 square miles surrounded by 25 miles of coastline. The highest point on Lehua is 702 feet and on Nihoa the high point is 910 feet. Lehua is the crescent shaped crown at the top of Niihau. Lehua is the summit of an ancient volcano peaking its head out of the ocean and is called "Lehua Rock" by the locals. There is excellent diving there as sealife abounds. To see a photo of Lehua, click here. This photo is taken from the North side of Lehua looking south toward Niihau. Another such crescent of the peak of a volcano crater rising just above the surface of the ocean is Molokini off the coast of Maui, also a popular diving and snorkeling location.
• The Leeward Islands of Hawaii, which are also called the Northwestern Islands are the islands located north and east of Kauai and Niihau. They begin with Kure and Midway and end with Nihoa and Lehue. As has been mentioned, the most extreme northeast corner of the Hawaiian archipelago are Kure and Midway which are frequently called islands, but, they are really atolls. Kure Atoll is about 55 miles west of Midway Atoll and is the farthest northeast part of the Hawaiian archipelago. Kure is the northernmost coral atoll in the world. Midway, which was called Pihemanu by the Hawaiians, was once the size of Lanai, but sunk back into the ocean due to what is called isostatic adjustment, leaving a coral reef ringing the former boundries.
The outline of the original island can be readily recognized from satellite photos of Midway. To see a NASA satellite photo of Midway, click here. To see a Midway map click here. Midway is under the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and it is a nature preserve where millions of birds, fish, green sea turtles and monk seals live. Midway is the only portion of the Hawaiian Islands that is not a part of the State of Hawaii. To see the statistics of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, also called the Leeward Islands of Hawaii click here. To see maps and aerial photographs of each of the major Northwestern Islands, that is, to look at maps and aerial photos of the main individual Leeward Islands of Hawaii click here.
The Leeward Islands page features maps and photos of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, photographs of birds and marine life as well as providing general information. Many links to photos of the animals of Hawaii appear on the Leeward Islands page. To view the various orchids and animals, click here. The islands include, Kure Atoll, Midway Atoll, Maro Reef, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Lisianski Island, Laysan Island, Gardner Pinnacles, French Frigate Shoals, Necker Island and Nihoa Island as well as individual smaller islands and atolls in reef systems. To visit the Northwestern Islands of Hawaii virtually, click here to go to the Leeward Islands Page. The Leeward Hawaiian Islands comprise the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument formerly called the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, the second largest marine nature preserve in the world.
On June 15, 2006, President George W. Bush signed Presidential Proclamation 8031 that created the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument. On March 2, 2007, it was renamed "Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument". The monument is managed by the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in close coordination with the State of Hawaii. Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is the second largest nature preserve in the world. The 140,000-square-mile monument with 2.7 million acres of coral reef, is home to endangered Hawaiian monk seals, threatened green sea turtles, 14 million nesting seabirds and 7,000 species of marine animals -- a quarter of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Prominent species include the threatened Green Sea Turtles and the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals, the Laysan and Nihoa Finches, the Nihoa Millerbirds, Laysan Ducks and seabirds such as the Laysan Albatrosses. Seventy percent of the coral in the United States lies in the Leeward Hawaiian Islands.
The name, Papahanaumokuakea, reflects Hawaiian mythology relating to the birth and genealogy of the Hawaiian Islands. Papahanaumoku, according to legend, is the goddess who gave birth to the Hawaiian Islands and her husband was Wakea.
Governor Lingle and the State of Hawai`i have demonstrated strong support for the protection of the NWHI. In September 2005, after a three-and-a-half-year public process that resulted in more than 25,000 public comments, Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle established a State Marine Refuge in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands that set aside all State waters as a limited access, no-take marine protected area. This created the largest marine conservation area in the history of the State, protecting 1,026 square miles of coral reefs from the shoreline to three miles offshore. The Lingle Administration also worked closely with the federal government to ensure similar protections at the national level, which culminated with the President's designation of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a marine national monument on June 15, 2006. Looking to the future, the Lingle Administration proactively pursued the designation of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument as a World Heritage Site. Fewer than 150 sites on the planet have been granted this internationally significant designation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
• For most people, the greatest familiarity with Hawaii consists of knowledge of the eight major Hawaiian Islands, which are also known as the Southeastern Islands of Hawaii as well as the Windward Islands of Hawaii. To see a satellite photo (courtesy NASA) of the 8 major Hawaiian islands, click here. The red arrow is pointing to the island of Niihau, but the crescent of Lehua cannot be distinguished. For a closer Space Shuttle Photo (Courtesy NASA) of Niihaui and Lehua only, click here. This photo was taken from the south of Niihau looking north at the island with Lehua crowning the top of Niihau. To see a map of Niihau and Lehua click here.
• Looking at Hawaii Maps we see that the 73 square miles of Niihau are surrounded by 50 miles of coastline and the highest elevation is Paniau at 1,281 feet above the Niihau coast. Niihau is about 23 miles long and averages between 3 and six miles wide. Niihau is the farthest west of the major Hawaiian Islands. Because of the arid climate one would not expect the largest lake in Hawaii to be on Niihau, but, Hawaii's largest lake is Halalii Lake on barren Niihau, which is the largest freshwater lake in the State of Hawaii. The other large lake nearby is Halulu Lake. Halalii Lake is not to be confused with Halalii Cinder Cone on Haleakala Volcano on Maui. Niihau has 12 freshwater lakes. In the lowland agricultural areas which are populated, Niihau receives an average of only 12 inches of rain per year and that combined with the island's poor soil has always kept the population at about 250 or fewer people. Annual rainfall in the agricultural area averages about 12 inches per year. In the non-agricultural areas where soil isn't suitable for farming or grazing cattle, rainfall can be as much as 25 inches per year and increases with altitude to 30-35 inches annually on the elevated plateau to over 40 inches annually on the upper windward northeastern slopes which, of course, are areas not suitable for agriculture or grazing. Niihau has become known as "The Forbidden Island" ever since it was purchased by Europeans - prior to that time it was known as "The Distant Isle". The photograph above of the sunset over Niihau was taken from Kauai. To see a daytime photo of Niihau taken from Kauai click here. To see a map of Niihau click here. To view the statistics of Niihau, click here. To see more photos of Niihau, you are invited to go to the Niihau Page where you'll find a brief history of the island, including the story of the present-day founders of Niihau and the infamous World War II (WWII) Battle of Niihau - click here to see the Niihau Page or click here to go directly to the Tales of Niihau. To see photographs of the flowers and animals of Niihau, click here.
• Highest points of Kauai are Waialeale at 5,148 feet and Kawaikini rising to 5,243 feet above sea level. Kauai, 100 miles northwest of Honolulu, is the farthest north and the westernmost of the major Hawaiian islands. Kauai is approximately 33 miles long and 25 miles wide and is the fourth largest Hawaiian island. Kauai's 110 miles of coastline ring 553 square miles. Kauai boasts the area that has highest annual precipitation in Hawaii and elsewhere. Mt. Waialeale is the wettest spot on earth and receives the most annual rainfall on the planet at an average of 480 inches per year. "Waialeale" means "rippling water" in Hawaiian. Thus, Kauai has over a thousand waterfalls. To see a photo of Mt. Waialeale click here. Nearby areas, however, are not so moist: Hanalei averages 45 inches of rainfall per year, Lihue about 30 inches, most resort areas about 20 inches and in the southwestern desert area from Polihale to Poipu Beach a mere 5 inches. Much of the runoff from Mt. Waialeale drains into the Alakai Swamps which are 30 square miles of trackless bogs. The Alakai Swamps are home to flora and fauna that is unique and found nowhere else on earth, such as the mighty upland Ohia trees. To the west of the Alakai Swamps is the spectacular Waimea Canyon with valleys cut 3,000 feet deep and two miles wide into the red stone. Black tail deer also live on Kauai - they are the descendants of deer brought to Kauai from Oregon to film a Hollywood movie in 1961. To see a photo of Waimea Canyon click here. To see another photograph of Waimea Canyon click here.
"Its mountains have become rounded and smooth and its streams tumbling to the sea have cut deep and wide, giving Kauai the Wailua River, the only navigable river in Hawaii. The Waimea River is the island's longest at about 20 miles and the Hanelei River moves the most water. The interior of Kauai is a dramatic series of mountains, valleys and primordial swamps. The great gorge of Waimea Canyon, called the 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific' is an enchanting layer of pastel colors where uncountable rainbows form prismatic necklaces from which waterfalls hang like silvery pendants. The northwest is home to the seacliffs of Na Pali, [better known as the Napali Coast] mightiest in all of Oceania, looming 4,000 feet above the pounding surf."
~ J. D. Bisignani, HAWAII HANDBOOK - THE ALL ISLAND GUIDE
"Pali" is the Hawaiian word for "cliff" so the translation of na pali (napali) is "the cliffs".
Kauai is also known as the "Garden Isle". To find Kauai statistics, click here. To see a map of Kauai click here. To visit the Kauai Page, where there are numerous photographs, click here. To see photographs of the flowers and animals of Kauai, click here.
• On Oahu, the altitude of Diamond Head is 760 feet, Tantalus is 2,013 feet and Mt. Kaala reaches 4,020 feet in elevation. To look at a photograph of Diamond Head large enough to use as widescreen wallpaper, click here. To view an aerial photo of Diamond Head Crater click here. Oahu has a total land area of 597 square miles on the main island and 608 square miles including the small islands offshore. Two of the largest ports in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor and Honolulu Harbor, are on Oahu. Measured from its farthest points, Oahu is 44 miles long by 30 miles wide. Oahu consists of two mountain ranges: the Koolau Range in the east and the Waianae Range in the west. The valley between these two mountain ranges consists of a fertile, rolling plain and supports many sugar, coffee and pineapple plantations, which is also known as Leilehua Plateau. The Leilehua Plateau lies between the two mountain ranges and stretches from Waialua on the North Shore to Ewa Beach just west of Pearl Harbor on the leeward side of Oahu. More than 45% of Oahu has altitudes of less than 500 feet, giving Oahu the lowest overall elevation of the major Hawaiian islands. The Koolau Range of mountains stretches almost the entire north-south length of the island dividing Oahu into the moist, green windward side in the northeast and the arid, dry leeward side.
While the Waianae range is smaller, its Kaala summit is the highest point on Oahu. Diamond Head crater, just east of Waikiki Beach is perhaps Oahu's most famous landmark. Oahu is the third largest Hawaiian Island after Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. Oahu's 608 square miles are rimmed by 209 miles of coastline. The longest stream in Hawaii is Kaukonahua which begins atop Puu Kaaumakua at an altitude of 2,681 feet in the central Koolau Range and flows westward 33 miles through the Leilehua Plateau into the 302 acre Wahiawa Reservoir, the second largest lake in Hawaii, and finally empties into the Pacific Ocean on the Northshore between Haleiwa and Waialua. To see a photo of the north fork of the Kaukonahua Stream, click here. The highest temperature ever recorded on Oahu was 96 degrees in Waianae and the lowest sea level temperature was 43 degrees in Kaneohe. Rainfall varies on Oahu. The leeward side which includes Waikiki, downtown Honolulu, the airport and Waianae Coast average 20-25 inches per year; the central Leilehua Plateau averages 40 inches per year, while Kaneohe and the Windward Side average 75-90 inches per year and the Nuuanu Reservoir on the western slope of the Koolaus above Honolulu average 120-130 inches per year, though some years see considerably greater precipitation there. To see a map of Oahu click here. Oahu is the most populous of the Hawaiian Islands and over three quarters of the population of the state lives on Oahu. Oahu is only a geographical, not a legal entity as the entire island is the City and County of Honolulu. Oahu means "the gathering place".
To see the statistics of Oahu and the other Hawaiian islands, click here. For information regarding hiking on Oahu, click here. To visit the Oahu Page click here. To see photographs of the flowers and animals of Oahu, click here.
• Mt. Kamakou is the high point on Molokai, rising 4,970 feet above the ocean amid 261 square miles wrapped in 106 miles of coastline. From above, Molokai looks like a giant track shoe. The island of Molokai can be roughly divided into three regions according to its physical features. The eastern region is covered with rugged mountains and canyons. The west is a dry plateau. The central area is a fertile plain suitable for growing various crops. Molokai is home to the largest number of indigenous native Hawaiians and like Niihau, the "Forbidden Island", the Hawaiian people comprise more than 50% of the residents of the island. Only 18% of the residents are white. The population of Molokai has grown to about 7,550. Molokai is only 38 miles long from the western heel to the eastern toe and Molokai averages about 10 miles wide. The west is mostly dry rolling hills, natural pastureland and more sparse vegetation than the other side. The eastern part of the island has lush vegetation, heavy rainfall, moss-covered, craggy, narrow valleys and the highest seacliffs in the world filled with precipitously steep chasms that run inland from the coast.
• Lanai has 52 miles of coastline as a perimeter for 140 square miles topped by Lanaihale at 3,370 feet above the water. From the summit of Lanaihale which can be easily accessed from the Munro Trail five of the eight major Hawaiian Islands can be seen clearly: Lanai, the Big Island of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai and Oahu. Hikers on the Monro trail, pass Maunalei Gulch, a vast precipitous valley which was the scene of the final battle of the Lanai warriors who were defeated by King Kamehameha I from the Big Island of Hawaii as he successfully sought to unite all the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom. In the valley hikers can see bighorn sheep, or more specifically Corsican mouflon sheep perform death defying leaps to and from rocky crags. Mouflon Sheep were introduced to the Hawaiian Islands circa 1776-8 by British Captain James A. Cook. Axis deer originally from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), an Island in the Indian Ocean at the southern tip of India and pronghorn antelope from Montana graze on the northwest grasslands. The Pronghorn Antelope were brought to Hawaii in 1959 by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. Lanai also has an abundance of pheasants, chukar partridges and wild turkeys.
To see a map of Lanai click here. Most of the Lanai's residents make their home in Lanai City, nestled near the ridge of mountains in the northeast corner of the Palawai Basin in the center of the island, which at 1,600 feet in altitude offers a very cool and temperate climate. Lanai City is sheltered, cooled and surrounded by the evergreen canopy of a huge grove of Cook pine trees planted in the early 1900s by New Zealand naturalist, George Munro. The word "Lanai" in the Hawaiian language in ancient times meant "Day of Conquest", but, in modern times has come to mean "hump" as Lanai appears to be a hump rising from the ocean. Lanai is the sixth largest of the Hawaiian Islands and measures 18 miles north to south and 13 miles east to west at its longest points. Lanai is a classic single-shield volcano and was probably connected to Maui, Molokai and Kahoolawe and part of what is thought to have once been one huge island in centuries past. A rugged mountain ridge runs northwest to southeast through the eastern half of Lanai. The area is creased by precipitous gulches, the two deepest at two thousand feet being Maunalei and Hauola. The southwest and west coasts of Lanai contain spectacular sea cliffs accessible only by helicopter or seacraft. Among the most majestic sea cliffs are Kaholo Pali, which run south from Kaumalapau Harbor and become the most rugged near Kaunalu Bay. There is a wide variety of fascinating geography on the island of Lanai. Lanai is also known as the "Pineapple Island" as it was exclusively owned by the Dole Pineapple Company after James D. Dole purchased it from the Baldwins, an old missionary family, for $1,100,000 in 1922 and made it into the largest pineapple plantation in the world which accounted for 90% of the American production of pineapples. Lanai was called "The Secluded Island" prior to the advent of pineapples. For the statistics of Lanai, click here. To visit The Lanai Page click here. To see photographs of the flowers and animals of Lanai, click here.
• 729 square miles are enclosed by of 149 miles of Maui coastline. Maui is the second largest Hawaiian Island after the Big Island of Hawaii.
Puu Kukui rises 5,788 feet above West Maui and Haleakala volcano towers 10,023 feet above East Maui. Although Haleakala Volcano is listed as inactive, it is expected to erupt again in the next 200 years. In spite of the fact that the Big Island has almost twice as much coastline as the other Hawaiian Islands combined, Maui has more swimmable beach than any other Hawaiian island. For example, Kaanapali's great beach continues, almost uninterrupted, for four miles. East Maui, which is really all a portion of the gigantic mountain called Haleakala (in the Hawaiian language, "Haleakala" means "House of the Sun") and on a map looks like the larger of 2 eggs in a pan, is the largest inactive volcano in the world and the hardened lava of Haleakala rises over 30,000 feet from the ocean floor, making it one of the biggest hardened masses on our planet. To view an aerial photo of East Maui dominated by the giant mass of Haleakala Volcano with East Maui and Kahoolawe nearby and Lanai and Molokai in the distance, click here.
Hawaii Handbook says the island of Maui's silhouette looks like the head and torso of the mythical demigod [Maui] bent at the waist and contemplating the island of Kahoolawe to the Southwest. Maui, like all the other islands of Hawaii, except Kauai, has no navigable rivers, but does have hundreds of streams. The longest is Kalialinui-Waiale Stream whose headwaters are at the base of Haleakala and it runs though Pukalani and empties into the Pacific Ocean near Kahului. Other large streams include Pilikea Stream which flows through Kipahulu Valley and formed Oheo Gulch. Another is Iao Stream which has sculpted the amazing monoliths in Iao Valley. To View a photograph of the Io Needle on Maui click here. There are several reservoirs on Maui, the two largest being the forty-one acre Kanaha Pond just outside Kahului and Kealia Pond on the southern shore of the isthmus between East Maui and West Maui. Both reservoirs are wildlife and bird sanctuaries. Many say that Maui grows the best potatoes and onions in Hawaii. Lahaina has long been the center of most activity on Maui. In times past it was the vortex and playground for the oldtime royal Hawaiian alii and later became a hub for Yankee whalers. The "good-time" mystique lingers to this day. To see a photo of Haleakala, click here. The photo was taken looking east northeast. To view a photo of Haleakala Volcano as seen from the island of Kahoolawe, click here. To see a map of Maui click here. Maui, the second largest island by land area is also known as "The Valley Isle". To see a chart of the statistics of Maui as compared to other islands, click here. To visit the Maui Page where there are more photos, click here. To see photographs of the flowers and animals of Maui, click here.
• Kahoolawe has 36 miles of coastline circling 45 square miles and the highest point is Lua Makika at 1,477 feet above sea level. Kahoolawe is the smallest of the 8 major Hawaiian Islands. Kahoolawe was formed by extrusions of thin pahoehoe lava flows from a small summit crater near the current summit of Puu Moaulanui and three rift zones. At the end of the initial volcanic phase, Kahoolawe was part of a single large island that included Maui, Lanai and Molokai. Subsequent erosion and changes in sea level separated Kahoolawe from its neighbors. Rainfall and waves continued to erode the northern slopes, while wave erosion formed steep sea cliffs on the western and southern coasts.
As can be readily seen in the snapshot above, the seaward slopes on Kahoolawe are very steep. The 100 fathom depth contour lies within 0.5 nautical miles of the south coast. In contrast, the 100 fathom mark lies over 2.5 nautical miles from the north and west coastlines. A fathom is six feet or 1.83 meters. The western end of the island shows a gentler offshore slope and has several large calcareous sand beaches. The northern coastline is protected from the North Pacific Swell by the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai. This part of Kahoolawe is cut by deep gullies and valleys. The north coast receives most of the runoff from the island and the reefs along this shoreline have been subjected to the highest levels of sedimentation due to soil erosion. The eastern end of Kahoolawe includes the remnants of the large caldera formed by collapse of the summit of the volcano that created the island. Prior to the first Western contact, Kahoolawe was covered with thick layers of lateritic soils. Beginning in the 19th century overgrazing by introduced goats and other livestock destroyed the protective vegetation. As a result, strong winds and rain erosion removed vast quantities of soil. The island of Kahoolawe lies in the rain shadow of Maui. Taking this fact into consideration while noting that Kahoolawe has comparably low elevations explains why Kahoolawe is relatively dry. To see a satellite photo of Kahoolawe click here. Photo courtesy NASA. To see a map of Kahoolawe click here. To see a map of Hawaii showing the position of Kahoolawe in the Hawaiian Islands, click here. To see a photo of the shore of Kahoolawe, click here. To look at a photograph of Haleakala Volcano and the Island of Maui taken from the island of Kahoolawe, click here. To see a chart of the statistics of Kahoolawe in comparison to other islands, click here. Kahoolawe is also known as "The Forgotten Island". To visit The Kahoolawe Page where there are more maps and photos of Kahoolawe, click here. To find The Kahoolawe Summary Page where you'll discover more geographical and geological data regarding Kahoolawe, click here.
• The Big Island of Hawaii, the farthest south Hawaiian island is over twice as large as the other Hawaiian islands combined with 63% of the state's total land mass, boasts 4,038 square miles enveloped by 313 miles of coastline. To see a map of The Big Island of Hawaii, click here. For statistics of the Big Island of Hawaii as compared to the other Hawaiian Islands, click here. To look at a map showing the average annual rainfall for various parts of the Big Island of Hawaii, click, here. Take a photo map tour of the Big Island of Hawaii and to view over a hundred points of interest via an interactive map and interactive panoramic 360° photographs courtesy MAI Technology Ltd. Simply click on one of the over 100 points of interest, and an interactive 360 degree photograph will appear which can be controlled with the mouse. Kilauea volcano (Kilauea in the Hawaiian language appropriately means, "spewing") slopes up to 4,093 feet and is the most active volcano in the world, sometimes shooting red hot fountains of lava over 1500 feet into the air and the hot lava makes its way to the ocean where giant clouds of steam rise into the air as the molten lava hits the water; to see a photo of a Kilauea lava fountain click here. To visit the Kilauea Volcano Page, and see over a hundred photos and maps of Kilauea, click here. For a map that depicts the five volcanoes that comprise the Big Island of Hawaii plus the Loihi Underwater Volcano off-shore, click here. The 5 Volcanoes that make up the Big Island of Hawaii are Kohala Volcano, Mauna Kea Volcano, Hualalai Volcano, Mauna Loa Volcano and Kilauea Volcano. To view a color map showing the five volcanoes that comprise the Big Island of Hawaii which shows nine different levels of Dangerous and Hazardous areas along with an accompanying chart which explains the ranking of the 9 various degrees of dangers and hazards, click here. To look only at the danger zone map without the accompanying chart and explanations of the meanings of the five Big Island Volcanoes and their nine hazardous and dangerous zones of each part of the island, click here. To explore a map depicting the danger zones and their levels of danger for Kilauea Volcano only, click here.
The Waipio Valley which lies between the Kohala Volcano and Mauna Kea Volcano is an out of the way place of breathtaking beauty and spectacular scenery. To view a photo of the Waipio Coastline, on the north shore of the Big Island, click here. Adjacent to Waipio Valley and just to the west toward Kohala lies Waimanu Valley another area of stunning beauty in North Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii - to view a photo of Waimanu Valley click here.
The Kohala Mountains, oldest on the Big Island with deep gorges and valleys along the Hamakua Coast rises to 5,480 feet; Puu Keokeo has an elevation of 6,870 feet; Mount Hualalai, 8,271 feet in altitude, hasn't erupted since 1801 and was thought to be extinct until about 1990 when volcanologists discovered the volcano to be red hot. Resultantly, the U.S. Geological Survey re-classified Hualalai as the fourth most dangerous volcano in the United States and experts expect it to erupt within the next ten years. To see a photo of Hualalai click here. Mauna Loa (which means "long mountain") ascends to 13,677 feet while the summit of Mauna Kea ("white mountain") reigns supreme at 13,796 feet and is the highest point in the State of Hawaii and its snow capped peak has been a sight of breathtaking beauty to sailers for centuries. To see a photo of snow-capped Mauna Kea click here. Mauna Kea is the only place in Hawaii where there is skiing. There are dozens of live cameras and satellite cams and weather webcams atop Mauna Kea, home to 22 world class optical telescopes inluding the Keck Twins, largest on Planet Earth. To look at a photo of telescopes atop Mauna Kea, click here. To look through the Mauna Kea livecams, which include optical, infrared and radar cameras from orbiting satellites above Hawaii and the Big Island, click here. Though Mauna Kea has the highest altitude in Hawaii, it isn't the highest mountain in the world by a long shot, it is the highest in the Pacific and it is the tallest mountain in the world as its base lies 18,000 feet below the surface of the ocean, making it 31,796 feet tall, 2,768 feet taller than Mount Everest. To see a spectacular photo from the summit of Mauna Kea, looking East at sundown, click here. The sun is setting in the west, behind the camera and what appears to be a mountain in the distance is really only the shadow of Mauna Kea against the clouds and ocean haze and the full moon can be seen rising in the midst of the shadow of Mauna Kea. The photo is by Michael Connelly and is courtesy NASA. Mauna Loa ("long mountain") is the largest volcano on earth as well as the densest and most massive mountain on the planet. This active volcano is 60 miles long and 30 miles wide. The total mass of Mauna Loa is a gargantuan 24,000 cubic miles, equal to that of the entire Sierra Nevada Range. When Mauna Loa had an astonishing eruption in 1950, 6,750,000 cubic yards of lava emerged per hour while seven lava rivers flowed for 23 days covering 35 square miles. To see a map of the lava flows of Mauna Loa from 1843 to 1984, click here. To see a photo of Mauna Loa click here. All the mountains on the Big Island are volcanoes. Five different volcanoes erupted and finally their lava flow merged together to make the Big Island of Hawaii. About 30 miles off the southeast coast of the Big Island is Loihi Sea Mount which lies less than 3000 feet below the surface of the ocean. Frequent eruptions bring it ever closer to the surface of the water when one day it will emerge as the newest of the Hawaiian Islands and perhaps eventually merge with and become a part of the Big Island of Hawaii. To see a map of the Big Island showing the areas of the different volcanoes, click here. We've all heard of waterfalls, but, have you ever seen a molten lavafall? Click here to see a photo of lavafalls on the Big Island of Hawaii. The lavafalls are from the Puu Oo Cone of the Kilauea Volcano and the lava flows into the nearby Pacific Ocean creating giant plumes of steam as the molten rock rushes into the water. To visit the Kilauea Volcano Page, click here. Lake Waiau on Mauna Kea is the highest lake in Hawaii and has the third highest elevation in the United States at 13,020 feet above sea level. Lake Waiau, at an altitude of 3,969 meters atop Mauna Kea Volcano, is the only alpine lake in the Hawaiian island chain. For a photograph of Lake Waiau, click here. Hawaii is unique in that it is the only state that is growing due to the eruptions of Kilauea volcano. There are over 22 world class telescopes atop Mauna Kea, including the world's largest, the Keck Twin Telescopes and the new Japanese Subaru Telescope. The Big Island is also known as the "Orchid Island" (though orchids grow on all the Hawaiian Islands). To see more photographs of Big Island Orchids, click here. The Big Island of Hawaii is also called the "Volcano Island" for obvious reasons. The north and southeastern coasts of the Big Island of Hawaii are home to high seacliffs (pali) and long silvery waterfalls dropping to the Pacific Ocean below. A colorful Hawaiian honeycreeper that the Hawaiians call Apapane is a common bird on all islands especially in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and on Leeward Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The smallest of the Hawaiian honeycreepers that the Hawaiians call Akepa live only in the rain forests of the Big Island of Hawaii. Another of the Big Island honeycreepers that the Hawaiians call Iiwa not only live exclusively in the rain forests of the Big Island of Hawaii, but they rarely come below elevations of 4,500 feet. The pilila Lives above 7,500 feet on the windwept, dry and dusty Leeward side of Mauna Kea Volcano. Hawaiian Hawks that Hawaiians call Io are found only on the Big Island of Hawaii. Look below from more photographs of the birds and other animals of Hawaii or click here to go directly to the animal links. To visit the Big Island of Hawaii Page click here. The Big Island Page contains complete information about all the volcanoes in Hawaii including latest eruption info and photographs from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the United States Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey as well as volcano information concerning the rest of the United States and links to volcanoes around the world. To go directly to the Kilauea Volcano Page, click Here. To see a map of The Big Island of Hawaii click here.
Orchids abound in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian word for orchid is Okika
Click here to see another orchid photograph.
Closeup photo of Northwestern Islands Table Coral
Another Humuhumunukunukuapuaa
Yet Another State Fish Photograph
A Species of Jack Fish, that Hawaiians call Ulua, near Pearl and Hermes Atoll
Swimming Maikoiko Fish which are also known as White Bar Surgeonfish
Swimming Menpachi Fish of the Squirrelfish Family
Squirrel Fish (Menpachi) at French Frigate Shoals
Menpachi (Squirrel Fish) at The Cathedrals on the Island of Lanai
Hawaiians call this species of Goatfish Weke Fish
French Frigate Shoals Weke A'a or Weke Aa Fish, a.k.a. Yellowstripe Goatfish
Oval Butterfly Fish or Oval Butterflyfish which the Hawaiians call, Lauipala (Lau-I-Pala) (Chaetodon lunulatus).
The Millsteed Butterfly Fish, a.k.a. Milltseed Butterflyfish, is called Lauwiliwili (Lau-wiliwili), in the Hawaiian Language.
The Hawaiian name is another Kikakapu (Kika-Kapu) and is also known as Ornate Butterfly Fish, as many Butterflyfish are called Kikakapu and Lauipala in Hawaiian.
Lined Butterfly Fish, among other fish is also referred to as Kikakapu by the Hawaiians
The Neon Wrasse is also called the Sunrise Wrasse and was named Hinalea by the Hawaiians.
Another Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) which Hawaiians also refer to as Lauipala.
Giant Grouper
Epinephelus lanceolatus also called Black Seabass, Jewfish and Hapuu (hapu'u) - the Hawaiian name. For more information about the Giant Grouper click here.
Click here to view another Widescreen Wallpaper Shot of a Giant Grouper among Ulua and Yellow Tang Surgeonfish.
Near Pearl and Hermes Atoll swims a Manta Ray
"Hahalua" means Manta Ray in Hawaiian.
A large Mako Shark cruises.
A Sullen White Tip Reef Shark Lurks.
"Mako" means "Shark" in Hawaiian - visit the Shark Webpage ~ MANY Photos of Sharks!
A Whale Tail above the ocean surface
Another Whale Tail breaks the surface
A Dolphin breaching.
Dolphins swimming.
Swimming Green Sea Turtle ~ the Hawaiian word for turtle is "Honu".
Basking Green Sea Turtles
Close-up of a Green Sea Turtle's Head
Juvenile Great Frigate Bird over French Frigate Shoals, the Hawaiians call it Iwa
Adult Great Frigate Bird soars overhead.
The Laysan Albatross is becoming common in all the Hawaiian Islands.
A Laysan Albatross in Flight.
A Chukar and her baby chick on Haleakala Volcano.
Another import to Hawaii are the Java Sparrows who thrive in Hawaii.
A Yellow and Black Honeycreeper Hawaiians call Anianiau of Kauai Rain Forests.
Small, colorful all island Honeycreeper that Hawaiians call Apapane.
Another Apapane bird - "Manu" is Hawaiian for Bird.
Small, colorful Honeycreeper that Hawaiians call Akepa lives in Big Island rain forests.
The Red and Black Honeycreeper Hawaiians call Iiwi stays above 4,500 feet.
The Pilila Lives above 7,500 feet on Leeward Mauna Kea.
The Short-Eared Owls inhabit all the islands and the Hawaiians call them Pueo.
Another Native Short-Eared Owl.
Another Hawaiian Hawk that Hawaiians call Io rests.
Masked Boobies at French Frigate Shoals
Egrets are common birds in the Hawaiian Islands
A Great Blue Heron, by the seashore
The State Bird of Hawaii is the Nene, a species of goose.
A Young Monk Seal - Hawaii's State Mammal
Submerged Monk Seal
Monk Seal swimming
Click to see a Feral Goat
View a Feral Pig on Oahu
Look at another Feral Boar
See two Wild Boars on Oahu
In May 2006, a rare pair of critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal twins—only the fourth set of twins ever documented and the first pair to survive past weaning — was brought to Honolulu from the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge aboard a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft. Past observations indicated that twins have a high probability of mortality, and it will be a first if these twins survive and are successfully reintroduced back into the wild for a significant duration. The photo of the rare Hawaiian monk seal twins was taken at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Kewalo Research Facility in Honolulu, Hawaii, while they were in quarantine.
Tagged PO22 and PO26, the young seals, both females, appeared healthy but were undersized at weaning with only about half the blubber reserves needed to sustain them through the several months required to learn self-sustaining foraging behavior. Hence the decision to provide additional food in a captive care situation to increase their chances of survival was made.
The twins were first observed on April 4 and appeared to be only a day or two old. The mother of the twins was identified as a 19-year-old from Kure Atoll and a beneficiary of a 1987 captive care program. Monk seal mothers stay with their pups for about six weeks, never leaving them to feed. During that period, mothers may lose as much as 300 pounds, while the pups may triple their birth weight. After the mother leaves, the pups are left to fend for themselves. The photo below of the Hawaiian monk seal twins in their beach pen at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge where they were placed as part of the captive care program after returning to Midway from Honolulu. The photos above and below appear courtesy the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Once they arrived in Honolulu at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Kewalo Research Facility, the pups were introduced to their quarantine facility — a large seawater holding pool with ample deck space to bask in the sun. After their health was evaluated, they were slowly given increasing amounts of human quality herring to match their growth. Over the next five months at Kewalo their progress was carefully monitored on a daily basis by a team of monk seal experts.
In October 2006, the twins were transported back to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge as the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center reinstated a Hawaiian monk seal captive care program after an eight year hiatus. Upon arriving back at Midway, the twins were placed in a shore pen — a large area enclosed by fencing that includes beach area for basking and ocean area for swimming. They appeared to acclimate quickly to their new surroundings and resumed typical monk seal behavior of "body surfing" on the waves traversing the pen.
At 5:00 AM on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 the seals had been placed in separate cages and loaded onto a C-130 aircraft at Barber's Point for the long flight back to Midway Atoll. At Midway, they were transferred to a 30 foot by 80 foot pen at the water's edge where they had ready access to the sandy beach and shallow nearshore water. The seals wasted no time getting accustomed to their new surroundings and enjoyed free lunches of herring provided by their caretakers. The twins remained under observation and care for a few months as they learned to feed on live fish in their ocean pen before joining the rest of the wild Midway monk seal population.
In short order PO22 and PO26 had nearly doubled their weight in Honolulu since weaning, gaining 60 pounds and 73 pounds respectively. Researchers said that the pair were released back into the wild in early April 2007, near their first birthday. Upon release, the twins were instrumented with satellite linked telemetry to allow researchers to follow and monitor their foraging activities.
The photo below shows Monk Seal TT40 oufitted with satellite linked telemetry.
Only two species of Monk Seals survive in the world today. One species lives in remote areas of the Mediterranean Sea, and the other inhabits the Hawaiian Islands of Kaui, Niihau and the Leeward chain of the Hawaiian Islands. A third species used to exist in the Caribbean, but the species was reduced to extinction in the 1950s, possibly by the increased encroachment on the Monk Seal's habitats. The Hawaiian monk seal's diet consists of eels, small octopus and reef fish, which are caught at night. During the day, monk seals bask on isolated beaches and rock ledges.
At the present time, the endangered Hawaiian monk seal is in a crisis situation and its population is at its lowest level in recorded history. Now numbering only about 1,200 individuals, their numbers are expected to fall below 1,000 within the next 5 years. The chief predators of seals are sharks. Click here to see photos of sharks attacking seals and sea lions.
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