Alohacyberian of Hawaii
- Lanai -
Travels with Keith Martin
4/4/2003
In olden times Lanai had a long dark past in Hawaiian legend as a desolate place haunted by man-eating spirits and fiendish ghouls. Prince Kaululaau was exhiled from Maui to Lanai by his father King Kakaalaneo. He was brave and wily as he cleared Lanai of its evil spirits by resourceful trickery and opened the door for settlement in about 1400 AD. Soon planting and fishing flourished. Lanai is also home to Ceylonese axis deer, which were a gift to King Kamehameha and the deer swam over from Molokai where the king had sent them. Other animals abound such as wild bighorn Corsican mouflon sheep and North American pronghorn antelope, pheasants, chukar partridges and wild turkeys.
In more modern times until recent years, Lanai, having the largest pineapple plantation in the world, produced over 90% of the America's pineapples and the little village called Lanai City, in the center of the island, with a population of 2,700 is one of the most delightful and unique in the world as it nestles among the Norfolk pines at the base of Lanaihale, the island's highest mountain. The village was built in the 1920s by the Dole Pineapple Company when James Dole bought the entire island from an old missionary family, the Baldwins. Lanai became known as "The Pineapple Island". Lanai was called "The Secluded Island" prior to the advent of pineapples. The houses today are a rainbow of bright colors that would raise eyebrows in most of the rest of the world. Lanai has only 17 miles of paved roads and is mostly unspoiled by civilization and enjoys deserted beaches, world class hotels and golf courses. From atop Lanaihale there are breathtaking views of Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii. Lanai is also rated as one of the best diving areas in the world.
And one of Lanai's most spectacular diving spots is called "The Cathedrals" or Cathedral Caverns. The Cathedrals is a wondrous dive site just off the south coast of Lanai. Like no other spot in the Hawaiian Islands, its hallowed namesake refers to the 60-foot (18 m) underwater chambers that house hundreds of active marine life species, including octopus, large eels, trumpet fish, blue-stripe snappers and pyramid butterfly fish.
Skilled divers spend hours exploring the nooks and crannies alongside some of the Pacific’s most beautiful inhabitants. This dive is considered an easier level dive and can be enjoyed by beginners as well as pros.
The Second Cathedral is larger than the first and has two main chambers with two huge archways between them. Depending on water conditions, divers may drop through the ceiling of the main chamber or may shoot through what is called "the dark hole". Different kinds of rare coral species grow inside The Cathedrals' chambers.
Lanai Weather Forecast and Weather Conditions
Vacation Planning from Hawaii Visitors' Bureau
Hiking on Lanai - Photos and Directions
Sailing, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Whale Watching, Kids' Camp
Manele Bay Hotel and Golf
The Lodge at Koele
Hotel Lanai and Henry Clay's Rotisserie
Where to Dine on Lanai
Basic Facts about Lanai
Geography of Lanai
Statistics of Lanai
The Kahoolawe Page
• The Maui Page
The Island of Lanai is part of Maui County. To visit the Maui Webpage, click here for complete information for the traveler with links to view Maui live webcams, listen to Maui radio stations, read the Maui newspaper, visit Maui government links or connect to activities, sights, lodging, meals and points of interest.
Cruise to the Molokai Page
Molokai is part of Maui County. The history, the land and the people of Hawaii's Island of Molokai - home of the famous leper colony and another of the 3 Hawaiian islands with wild deer. Kalaupapa, the former Leper Colony on Molokai, is not a part of Maui County, it is Kalawao County. The Molokai Page has weather, mythology, history, geography and complete visitor information. Kahoolawe is also part of Maui County.
Hawaiian Language Translators
to translate Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages as well as Hebrew, Yiddish and a 150 more languages for those who are in need of foreign language translations. Find foreign language dictionaries and language translators to translate from any of 17 languages to any of the those other 17 languages plus a comprehensive source for dictionaries and translators for 150 world languages. There are also chatroom and instant messenger language translators as well as online dictionaries of computer terms, the American Collegiate Dictionary and/or a thesaurus where words can be typed directly into the online box in order to find correct spellings, definitions and even hear the words pronounced properly. There are also links to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) online and an interactive "Ask Oxford" and "Kids, Ask Jeeves" search boxes to enter questions to recieve instant results. And for those who are looking for specialty dictionaries, there are literally hundreds to choose from for almost any specific field that is imaginable.
"Mako" is the Hawaiian word for "shark". Hawaiians also use the word "mano" to designate different species of sharks, such as "mano kihikihi" meaning "hammerhead sharks". One kind of sharks common in Hawaiian waters as well as being found worldwide are several species called "mako sharks". The sharks in the ocean around Hawaii offer almost no peril to human beings. Though, the sharks that have been responsible for the most dangers in Hawaii have been the tiger sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, gray reef sharks and the galapagos sharks. While great white sharks can be dangerous, they do not frequent Hawaiian shorelines in great numbers because of their feeding habits which keep them far from the coastlines and away from human populations. Please accept an invitation to visit the Sharks webpage to access general information and to see many photographs regarding the more than forty species of sharks that are found in the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. For further information regarding which shark species are the most aggressive and the most treacherous; to view over a hundred shark photographs; read fascinating facts; peruse shark research; learn safety tips; find suggested reading and explore links to more shark websites, click, here.
Aloha Mail: alohacyberian@att.net
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