Archive for category: Exploring Kauai

It’s official! You are headed to Kauai for your vacation and you couldn’t be more excited. Now, it’s time to pack and you might just be interested in a few tips from a local perspective.

Every year in early November, Laysan albatrosses begin to arrive on Kauai.  Some come to nest, others to find a mate. When they are not here, they are out at sea, often flying as far north as Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.  They may rest on the water, but they will not touch land until they return here.  Most albatrosses live on islands not that are not inhabited by human beings.  Kauai is the only place in the world where albatrosses can be found in residential areas and on golf courses.

One year a chick from a nest next to a fairway was determined to sit there on the manicured lawn instead of near his nest.  A message was included on all golf carts warning the visitors to watch out for him.  They did.

The majority of he world’s Laysan albatrosses live on Midway, site of a famous WWII battle and home to over a million seabirds.  Midway is the home of Wisdom, an albatross in her sixties who is still raising chicks.  There are smaller colonies of these albatrosses on islands off of Mexico and on Oahu and Kauai. Many of the Laysan albatrosses that come to Kauai were raised here. Albatrosses have been nesting on the North Shore since the 1970s.  They will almost always return to the area where they grew up.  All of the birds without mates will participate in elaborate displays that somehow help them to find the perfect one to nest with.  Not even construction can keep them away from their favorite spots.

An albatross that will be nesting does not spend much time displaying.  Mated pairs sit close together and gently groom each other.  They show great affection for each other.  Choosing the right mate is the most important decision of their lives.  They need someone who will share nesting duties: incubation of the egg, protection of the newly hatched chick, and the feeding of that chick until fledging time. They often mate for life, although divorces are not unheard of.

As the chick gets older and requires more to eat, the parents will fly further away from Hawaii.  They will have to leave the chicks alone in their nests.  Some visitors worry that a chick may have been abandoned, but the parents must spend all of their time finding food.  They feed the chick squid, small fish, flying fish eggs and crustaceans.  Unfortunately, every feeding also includes some plastic, which is now quite prevalent on the ocean’s surface. At five or six months, the chicks will take their first flight, leaving Kauai and not returning until they are at least three years old.

Albatrosses do not appear to be afraid of people, and it is very tempting to treat them like the birds people often feed in their yards.  But an albatross must learn to survive in harsh environments, not just on a lawn with people who like them.  It is safer for them to avoid other species that share their world; some of them may prove to be a threat.  In the past, some have been killed or injured by unleashed dogs, and there are some people that do not appreciate them and harass them. A good rule of thumb is to stay at least fifteen feet away from an albatross, if possible.  They may not look nervous to you, but a bird does not always react to stress the way a pet or a person might.  A sign may be put up to remind people to stay back.

Occasionally concerned people will leave food near the nesters or chicks.  This food can attract predators and can also expose the birds to bacteria that can harm them. A nesting couple takes turns incubating the egg and flying out to sea to feed themselves, they will not starve.   They both feed their chick.  In some cases, their parents feed them so well that the chicks must actually lose weight before fledging, Enjoy your time on Kauai, and remember the time you were treated to a glimpse into the life of the Laysan albatross—-devoted mate, dedicated parent, and a connection to all that is wild and beautiful.

Note from the Author Cathy Granholm:

Snorkeling with kids is an exciting activity that will bring your family many wonderful memories. On Kauai there are dozens of great snorkeling beaches, but only a handful are recommended for snorkeling with children. Ocean conditions can be highly variable and coral, rocks, currents and swells can make snorkeling in some locations downright dangerous. When snorkeling with children, it is best to seek out beaches with a posted lifeguard and a fringing reef or rock wall that buffers the wave action. Below is a list of beaches that meets these criteria. However, it is still advised to check with the lifeguards before you enter the water.

Lydgate Beach Park

Lydgate Beach Park is located on the East side of Kauai adjacent to the Wailua River. This Beach Park offers families a calm snorkeling area due to the manmade rock walls that buffer the surf. The ponds allow the water to move freely through the crevices in the rocks. Juvenile fishes move into the pond through these same crevices and as they grow are unable to escape. As a result, it is possible to view many different species of fish when snorkeling here. Turtles and eels can also be found in the pond from time to time, especially after a high tide. The protected area, calm water, posted lifeguard and variety of fish make this the perfect beginning snorkeling spot.

Salt Pond Beach Park

On Kauai’s Western shore, Salt Pond Beach Park boasts a number of protected shallow pools that offer great snorkeling for the little ones. The water is generally quite clear here and the natural fringing reefs help keep the water fairly calm. Tide pools on the East side of the beach are a great place to discover additional Hawaiian marine life. A lifeguard is posted here and you will find restrooms, showers, and shade pavilions in the park.

Poipu Beach Park

Poipu Beach is located on the sunny South side of Kauai. Poipu has all the amenities that families will need including a park and playground, bathrooms, showers, pavilions, a posted lifeguard and even nearby restaurants for lunch. Shallow wading pools are perfect for infants and toddlers and a fringing reef offers some protection from the surf.

Anini Beach Park

Although there is no lifeguard posted at Anini, it is considered to be one of the safer beaches on Kauai’s North Shore. This is due to a fringing reef that is located just offshore and keeps the water relatively calm for family friendly snorkeling. ALways use caution during winter months when there is large sell and wave activity.

Anini is usually less crowded than Poipu or Hanalei and is really quite breathtaking. You will probably encounter less fish at Anini than some of the other south shore locations, but if you are lucky, you might just spot one of the resident turtles who will come in to the sea grass beds to feed. The Beach Park here is quite extensive and offers shade trees, picnic tables, pavilions, restrooms and showers.

When snorkeling on Kauai always remember to exercise caution and practice reef etiquette.

Haku lei by Elvrine Chow of Heavenly Hakus.

Gathering elements for haku lei with Elvrine Chow in her garden is like going on a joyful treasure hunt. She sees lei material everywhere, a petal here, a leaf there, colorful seeds and stems, gathering items that will look beautiful once her experienced hands entwine them together into bold yet delicate looking wearable bouquets.

A haku lei is the commonly used name for a garland of blossoms worn around your forehead, a Hawaiian tiara of sorts, a distinctly special form of lei that allows the wearer to feel like the most gorgeous woman around. (Quick language lesson: In Hawaiian, the plural of lei is lei – no added s, and the real name for lei worn around the head is po’o.)

“Rainbow” lei, Chow’s specialty in her business Heavenly Hakus, explode with color in a tightly woven, intricately artful blend of 20 or more blossoms, seeds, leaves, ferns and herbs, freshly-picked and full of color. Picture pink plumeria and small purple orchids next to green and yellow-striped leaves gently looped to make “ribbons,” nestled alongside magenta bougainvillea blooms, side-by-side with tiny white roses and bright orange and yellow flowers. With accents of fragrant sage and thyme leaves between dark purple basil flowers and tiny white cilantro flowers, Chow’s leis smell as good as they look.

“Growing up, we always had flowers in the house and always had a beautiful garden that my parents created together wherever we lived,” Chow says. “Our gardens were magical and my playground. I try to create that now in my own garden.”

Chow, who moved to Kauai when she was 18 years old and married into a local family, became a lei-maker almost by accident more than 20 years ago, when her sister-in-law recruited family members to make lei for their children to wear in a hula performance.

Elvrine Chow of Heavenly Hakus collects flowers, leaves and heavenly-scented herbs in her garden for her gorgeous haku lei.

“When she started to teach us how to make leis, I got so excited. And when she taught us to make haku leis, I totally fell in love,” she says. “Ever since, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Chow accepts special orders for weddings, graduations and other special events, honoring specific color requests provided the appropriate flowers are in bloom. Depending upon the season, she also collects flowers from her auntie’s garden and occasionally alongside the highway where wild plants often grow.

You can see Chow in action making haku lei at her booth Saturday mornings at Kauai Community College Farmers Market. She can also be reached at (808) 634-9999.

A haku lei is a wearable bouquet.