It just happened to work out that I didn’t have any lessons scheduled today, so Scott and I decided to spend the day exploring the leeward, or western, side of Oahu. Our homebase of Kailua, as well as Honolulu, are both on the windward side of the island where the climate is wet and breezy and everything is lush and green. The leeward side of Oahu is sheltered from the Pacific trade winds so it is noticeably drier¹ and less verdant.

Scott’s research had revealed a few renowned snorkeling spots and our plan was to do some snorkeling as well as stop and check out some other intriguing natural features in the area. The first stop was snorkeling at “Electric Beach” (actually called Kahe Point). Its nickname comes from its location- the beach is located right across from an electric power plant and the water that is used to cool the plant is discharged via huge pipes into the ocean. The (clean) discharge water is quite warm and because of that, attracts abundant sea life. It was about a ⅛ mile swim out to the pipes and you could see where they ended because the water appeared different there- you could see it swirling and moving. Scott had bought us snorkeling PFD’s and I was happy to have them, because, while he is quite comfortable in the open ocean, I am not so much. The pipes are in about 30 feet of water and the water is super clear so it was easy to see schools of fish. Some of the fish seemed to enjoy riding the current that the pipes created and would go for a little fishy roller coaster ride. When we had had enough snorkeling we made our way back to the beach² and packed up for the next stop.³

The Mermaid’s Cave awaited us next and it was just a short drive from Electric Beach. You wouldn’t notice this spot if you weren’t on a mission to find it. It’s a little ways away from the Kalaniani’ole Beach Park and is quite literally in someone’s backyard. The cave was formed by the turbulent ocean waves eroding away at the porous lava rocks over time and forming the hollows. It is only accessible at low tide and lucky for us, our timing was correct. On the walk across the lava rocks to the cave we were amazed by the thick crystalline salt rinds that had formed in little depressions in the rocks where ocean waves had deposited the salt water and the sun had evaporated the water leaving only the salt. They looked similar to ice crusts that form on puddles. When we found the cave we were thankful to see that other people that were exploring it already had brought a ladder which made it much easier to drop down into the cave (and get out of it when we were ready to leave). The cave floor was covered in chunks of lava rock and coral, very little sand to be seen, and when the waves would enter the cave, the noise of the waves rushing into the enclosed space, as well as the rock and coral being pushed around, was quite loud. We hung out in here for a few minutes to take it all in. It seemed surreal, especially to my east-coast-Atlantic-sandy beaches-eyes. Scott swam out of the cave and then back into it, just because. Once we were out of the cave we encountered a lifeguard that rode up on an atv. He told us to stay out of the water because a 10 foot long tiger shark had just been spotted swimming right up along the shore of the beach. He hypothesized that this beach would be closed for a bit because of the sighting.

I didn’t want to be anywhere near where the tiger shark might be so we kept working our way up the west coast of the island, this time stopping about 10 miles away at Makaha Beach for more snorkeling. (I didn’t let myself Google about tiger sharks to see what its range might be and if we ran a chance of encountering him or any of his family members. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.) I was a little more nervous than usual for this snorkel but rallied and followed Scott out into the ocean and to where we had been told there were lava tubes. We found the lava tubes which were big cavernous formations and were a perfect spot for fish to hang out. We enjoyed seeing all the fish popping in and out of them. This beach seemed less sketchy than some of the ones we encountered earlier in the day and had decent trees, so can you guess what we did? We ate lunch in our hammocks, took a little siesta, and enjoyed people watching⁴.

Next on our westward exploration was a visit to Ka’ena Point- the westernmost point of Oahu and basically the end of the road. (Literally. There is no way to go around the entire perimeter of the island of Oahu.) This was some of the most rugged coastline that I’d seen on the island with the huge lava rock cliffs on ocean’s edge and waves crashing dramatically against them. We saw lots of stray cats⁵ at this spot and I was curious where they found fresh water in such a dry and desolate place. We got out and walked around and watched some people fishing from the lava rock shore. On the drive back out we saw a Space Force satellite tracking station that was located here. Nearby was a huge cave formation (Makua Cave) and we stopped to check it out. Scott snooped around it for a bit and I was proud of him for showing self restraint and not going too far in. We got back in the car and started heading back the way we came.

Electric Beach was calling Scott’s name as we drove back by it on the return trip, so we stopped for him to snorkel again. I opted out this time and chose to sit on the beach and enjoy the sights and sounds of the ocean. He was glad that he snorkeled because he got to see a sea turtle up close and personal. He had been watching fish and as he was heading out towards the pipes he encountered some scuba divers that gave him a heads up that there was a sea turtle in the vicinity. With this information, he was surveying the water as he swam, and sure enough, a few minutes later, what appeared but the sea turtle about six feet away! He was able to swim next to it and observe it for a minute or so before it swam down towards the ocean floor. He tried to follow it but didn’t make it very far before giving up his pursuit, outpaced by the animal. Meanwhile, up on dry land I was hanging out gazing at the ocean, and lo and behold, what did I see but a spout of water appear on the horizon line. Doubting at first what I had seen, I kept my eyes peeled to see if I would see it again, and a few minutes later, saw the same poof of mist transpire a few hundred yards away. I was seeing whales! I kept watching and saw one breach ever so slightly, the shape of its huge round back making a brief appearance and breaking above the water briefly before disappearing again into the ocean. I had read that migrating humpback whales can be seen in Oahu starting around December, attracted by the warm southern seas to breed and give birth to their calves, so I am guessing that is what I witnessed. Scott emerged back onto dry land a few minutes before sunset, so we decided to watch the sunset over the Pacific from this spot, and we were treated to a splendid show as the bright sun seemingly lowered itself carefully into the ocean and out of sight. That was our cue to pack up and we headed back to Kailua.