The Hawaiian Islands

Aloha! Let’s hop on a virtual plane and cruise to Hawaii for a tropical visit to a few major islands.

Hawaii has approximately 137 islands, many of which are very small. There are eight major islands and we’re going to frolic on the four most commonly visited ones.

We are 2,000 miles (3,200 km) west of the U.S. coast in an isolated spot in the Pacific Ocean.

The islands were formed from volcanoes on the ocean floor approximately 40-70 million years ago. Some of Hawaii’s volcanoes are dormant, while others continue to erupt.

The oldest islands are in the north and are smaller due to longer exposure to erosion. We’ll start in the north.

You can see the eight major islands in the map (above). Niihau, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe are primarily not open to tourists for various reasons.

Kauai, Oahu, Maui and the Big Island are where most residents live and tourists visit.

As a tourist who has visited Hawaii many times and always to enjoy the wildlife, the emphasis here will be on the world outdoors.

Kauai.

The oldest of the main islands, Kauai has had more time for soil and plants to reestablish on top of the lava eruptions. It is also one of the wettest places on earth. With steady rainfall, the waterfalls and lush forests offer rich vistas on Kauai.

Kaua’i

Other stunningly beautiful sights on Kauai include the NaPali coast and Kilauea Point in the north.

There’s a tricky trail on the coast of NaPali that offers some of the most beautiful vistas I have ever seen, like this one, below.

NaPali Coast, Kauai

Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge has a lighthouse and one of the largest populations of nesting seabirds in the state.

Here we have seen frigatebirds, albatross, shearwaters and more. This nene, below, was photographed from Kilauea Point, it is Hawaii’s state bird. I have participated in Nene counts for this beleaguered-but-reviving endemic species, the rarest goose in the world.

Nene, Kauai

Oahu.

This island is home to the state’s capital, Honolulu, and is the busiest and most populated.

One day we went birding with my nephew and his son, Oahu residents, in Kapiolani Park at the base of Diamond Head. We were looking for a would-be lifer, the fairy tern, but to no avail.

Below are two photos of Diamond Head, a volcanic mountain that has not erupted in over 150,000 years. This first photo is from Kapiolani Park. The aerial shot below it shows Diamond Head’s crater.

Diamond Head, Oahu

Diamond Head (front) and Oahu

The north side of Oahu is a world-famous surfing hotspot…

No. Shore Pipeline, Oahu

…and is less urbanized with good habitat for birds, including this common moorhen and Hawaiian stilts.

Common Moorhen, Oahu

Hawaiian Stilts, Oahu

The beauty of every Hawaiian Island is the mountains that dominate the landscape. All are made from volcanoes, and volcanic activity is different on every island. This is what makes each island unique.

Maui.

Maui was formed by two volcanoes that now overlap each other into one island. The younger of the two volcanoes is on the eastern side, called Haleakala.

There is a visitor center at the top, yielding these incredible views of the volcanic mountain and crater.

Haleakala, Maui

Not far from the summit we have had the fortune of finding endemic honeycreepers several times. Honeycreepers are nectar-feeding birds native only to Hawaii, many of them have become extinct over the years. We spotted this Amikihi in Hosmer’s Grove. (Hawaii has no hummingbirds.)

Native bird Amikihi, Maui

As it is with all these main Hawaiian Islands, the top of the mountain is typically more undeveloped and has native flora and fauna, whereas the base of the mountain has more human development and introduced plants and wildlife.

Warmer weather, beaches and access to supplies is understandably the human draw at the mountain bases.

Which side of the island you are on, leeward or windward, is also a factor for development due to weather.

So many times I have spent the day on the mountain’s top, bundled up, sometimes soaking wet, as we went birding and hiking and exploring. Then we would drive back down to our condo where everyone is in bathing suits, relaxed and sipping on a drink in the midst of fragrant tropical trees.

So we also spend time snorkeling and swimming in bays and coves. I have had the honor of snorkeling in this cove, below, several times.

Maui

The Big Island.

Also known as the island of Hawaii, it is the largest and youngest island in the chain. Being the youngest island, it still has volcanic eruptions.

The Big Island is my favorite. I like it because it is bigger and less congested and very interesting. I find the lava formations fascinating and love the unique landscapes that resemble moonscapes. I have seen the most birds and wildlife on this island, too, native and otherwise.

Saffron Finch, Hawaii

Six Geckos, Hawaii

This photo below shows an expansive vista of lava landscapes on the Big Island’s Saddle Road. After an eruption has cooled down, years later, plant life takes root. Here there are plants, but it is mostly lava. The landscape varies depending on where the lava has spewed and hardened, and how many years it has been.

Saddle Road, Big Island

Volcanoes National Park is a must-see for us on the Big Island due to numerous hiking and birding opportunities.

Volcanoes National Park, National Park Service website

Apapane, native Hawaiian bird

This is an active lava flow spitting fire and smoke, below, taken from a very far and safe distance. Kilauea Volcano.

Halema’uma’u Crater at Kilauea Volcano, Big Isl.

On the other side of the Big Island, this is one of my favorite snorkeling spots near the Place of Refuge on the south Kona coast. The “beach” is all hardened, black lava. It’s not a place for laying out, but under the water are a variety of coral and fish, spinner dolphins and green sea turtles.

South Kona Coast, Big Isl.

As we reluctantly head back to Kona International Airport, we still have a little time to check out this marina formed with black lava and showing Mauna Loa (volcano) in the sky’s horizon.

Honokohau Harbor Marina, Big Isl.

Thanks for joining me on this Hawaiian Island tour…or as they say in Hawaii: Mahalo.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.

Green Sea Turtles, Big Isl.

Green Anole, Maui