Archive for category: Kauai Beaches

Located on Kauai’s North Shore, Anini is one of Kauai’s most beautiful and peaceful beaches. It is usually less crowded than Poipu or Hanalei and the beach itself is really quite breathtaking. A long stretch of fringing reef located just offshore tends to keep the water relatively calm here, and make for some good snorkeling.

Anini has some nice facilities including restrooms, showers, picnic tables, a grassy lawn, and pavilions that can be reserved for parties. If the pavilions are not already reserved, they can be claimed on a first come first serve basis. There is also a boat launch ramp here. I point this out, because if you choose to snorkel here, you might want to steer clear of this particular area.

Snorkeling at Anini is quite different than many other Kauai snorkeling spots. The slope is very gradual, so it is possible to swim quite a ways from shore and still be in shallow water. During a low tide, it gets so shallow in fact, that it can be difficult to navigate. The best time to snorkel at Anini is early in the morning when there is a high tide. The afternoons can get windy and stir up the sand, diminishing visibility.

At Anini, you will not see the volume and diversity of fish that you will on the South Shore, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t snorkel here. If you take it very slow, you will see things at Anini, that you will see nowhere else. For example, in the sandy shallows, you might run across a flounder or helmet gurnard, they are so camouflaged that you won’t be able to detect them until you see one move. In the sea grass beds, solar powered sea slugs, or nudibranchs are common and the sea turtles will come in to feed on the sea grass here.

Most snorkelers will pass right by a solitary coral head, but if you stop and float motionless over the top of the ones here, you might discover a whole community of Hawaiian Dascyllus, black and white “Domino Damsels” guarding their coral head. If you are lucky, you might spot a Lionfish or Leaf Scorpionfish, tucked between the branches of the coral. Whitemouth Moray Eels are also common on the reef here.

The best place to snorkel at Anini is in front of the first parking area you come to before the bathrooms and the boat ramp. A lunch wagon often parks here (but will be absent early in the morning). Look out at the water and try to spot the small orange buoy. Snorkel in the shallows first to gain your confidence, but then follow the edge of the reef out to the buoy. Do not swim over the top of the reef, instead follow it along the perimeter.

Please note that there is no lifeguard posted at Anini, so be sure to take all the necessary precautions. Stay in the shallow area if you are a beginner or you are snorkeling with children, but if you are feeling confident, head farther out (with your buddy, of course). It will begin to get deeper and you will enjoy the unusual topography of the reef. Eventually, you will be lead out into a deep and narrow keyhole where you will not be able to go any farther. Look for eels tucked into the walls of the reef, taking your time to discover what lies in each crevice. Then head back to shore following the other edge of the reef. On the way back, be sure to notice where you are swimming relative to the shore, you will want to stay to the left of the boat launch area.

Like all coral reefs, the reef is fragile at Anini. Please practice reef etiquette and if you need more tips about snorkeling, be sure to check out our other snorkeling articles.

Don’t forget to bring you fish cards or fish identification books. These are available at convenience stores around the island. If you have kids, order a copy of The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book. Your children will be able to learn about all the fish they discovered on the reef (including the Helmet Gurnard) while coloring them in. This book is also great for the long plane ride home.

To get to Anini, head north past Kilauea and take the second Kalihiwai road, toward the ocean, then turn left on Anini drive.

Kauai’s gorgeous, clear oceans are fabulous for snorkeling and seeing lovely tropical fish and when you’re lucky, an occasional endangered sea turtle.

While swimming with the fish, have you ever noticed the coral reef beneath you? Corals are living organisms that provide nourishment and shelter for our finned friends. The healthier the water is around them, the better it is for all of us.

Here’s how you can help keep our coral healthy: avoid wearing sunscreens that contain these four common ingredients that scientists say cause a dormant virus inside coral to activate, causing the coral to bleach then die:

• Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) – Some toxicology experts believe that oxybenzone is also linked to hormone disruption in humans and potentially to cell damage that may lead to skin cancer.
• Butylparaben
• Octinoxate (Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate)
• 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4MBC) – legal in Europe and Canada, not in the USA or Japan.

All four of these sunscreen ingredients have been found to have harmful effects on humans as well as coral, according to several studies. Even though the ocean is vast, in popular tourist destinations like Kauai, the effects of these substances is magnified and results can be devastating. According to at least one study, the exposure to a very small dose of sunscreen containing even one of these chemicals is just as dangerous as a high exposure.

Here is a list of several of my favorite natural sunscreen brands that are available in many retail locations and via the Internet:

• Badger
• UV Natural
• Aubrey Organics
• Nature’s Gate

Remember, a sunscreen that is healthier for marine life is also better for you and your family.

Koloa Landing is one of the best spots on Kauai for beginning shore dives. Because there are no facilities here, there are rarely more than a few people in the water. Most of the local dive companies use this as their “shore” dive location due to the ease of entrance, deep water, and abundance of marine life, but anyone can access the beach.

Entering the water is as easy as walking down the old cement launch. Divers will find that the water gets deep almost immediately. Mariners originally discovered this deep-water port during the days of the fur and sandalwood trades. Divers will find it full of marine life. The schools of fish are much larger here than they are at other nearby locations like Poipu Beach. Visibility is usually good and divers can encounter many different species here that are seen less frequently elsewhere on Kauai including: mullet, trumpet-fish, and file-fish. Even the invertebrate populations are a little more unique here. The rocks are often covered with red pencil urchins and it is common to spot octopus.

Koloa Landing can also be a great snorkeling spot as long as a few precautions are followed. Snorkelers (and divers) should remember that ocean conditions vary and there is no lifeguard on duty here. The water is typically calm, but it can get a little rough near the rocks and it is wise to stay out of surge areas if there is any swell showing. Visitors should check in with the lifeguards at Poipu Beach Park to find out about ocean conditions along the South Shore before venturing out. Of course snorkelers should always swim with a buddy and follow ocean safety guidelines. You can also check out our tips for snorkeling at Kauai.com.

Due to the deep water, lack of facilities, and the absence of a lifeguard, this location is not recommended for families with children. Only more advanced snorkelers should venture out here, or consider signing up for a guided shore dive.

Finding Koloa Landing is a little tricky and so is finding a parking spot. From the round-a-bout in Poipu, take the exit marked for Spouting Horn and then make an immediate left Ho’onani Rd. On the right you will see a dirt parking area followed by a bumpy gravel road that goes down to the beach. If there is parking up top, take it, there is rarely parking available below.

To learn more about Coral Reefs, or the fish that you will see while snorkeling on Kauai, check out Monika Mira’s many books about marine life. All are available on Amazon.com

This six-minute water safety video could save your life.

In six minutes you can learn how to enjoy Kauai’s beautiful beaches safely, thanks to a brand new water safety video that plays on a continuous loop in both of Lihue Airport’s baggage claim areas and on YouTube at Kauai Water Safety Video.

“Since 1990, 200 people have drowned in our oceans; 150 of them have been visitors,” says Dr. Monty Downs, an emergency room physician who knows only too well how heartbreaking it is to let families know that one of their loved ones has drowned while on vacation. “Our beaches are beautiful. We want everyone to know how to enjoy them safely.”

Kauai’s ocean conditions are different than many people have ever experienced before, and can change in moments, cautions Downs, who is also president of the Kauai Lifeguard Association. “In some locations, the ocean can appear calm, but huge sets of waves that come in 30-minute intervals from the Aleutian Islands are on their way and you can be caught in a living Hell.”

Downs recommends swimming only at Kauai’s lifeguarded beaches. “However, only 10 of our 75 beaches are have lifeguards and Kauai is the Island of Discovery, so we are realistic and know that people are going to also swim other places,” he says. Therefore, Downs recommends educating yourself about ocean conditions:

• Visit www.kauaiexplorer.com for current ocean conditions, updated daily.
• Familiarize yourself with how to use the 200 Rescue Tubes located on beaches across the island, including much of the non-lifeguarded shoreline.
• Learn what to do if you are caught in a rip current. Visit www.kauaiexplorer.com and click on Rip Currents the right hand side of the page for step-by-step instructions of how to save yourself if you area caught in a rip current.

Downs dedicated the airport water safety video to the memory of people who have drowned on Kauai “and to those who won’t, thanks to our water safety efforts.”

The water safety video that plays in Lihue Airport baggage claim areas was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kapaa, Kauai Lifeguard Association, Dupont Pioneer, Wala’au and KVIC.

Members of the Rotary Club of Kapaa, the driving force behind the Kauai’s water safety video, joined by Dr. Monty Downs (top right), president of the Kauai Lifeguard Association.