Halona Blowhole - Oahu, HI
Posted by: Raven
N 21° 16.935 W 157° 40.601
4Q E 637279 N 2353961
The drive-by scenic lookout of "Halona Blowhole" on Oahu's southeastern shoreline offers plenty opportunities to see big waves in action: pounding either the rocky outcrops nearby, or Sandy Beach further to the East.
Waymark Code: WMVQ9H
Location: Hawaii, United States
Date Posted: 05/17/2017
Views: 3
The Halona Blowhole Lookout is a popular scenic spot on Oahu's southeastern shore right on State Hwy 72 near Hanauma Bay, about 10-15 minutes from Honolulu. It is an area with steep sea cliffs offering great views of the pacific ocean in full action, especially on windy days.
The "Halona Blowhole" -- for which the lookout is named -- is an ocean geyser formed by a molten lava tube from volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago. The geyser is created when breaking surf enters the lava tube are is compressed as the tube becomes smaller and smaller causing the pressure to increase forcing a stream of water to shoot up, sometimes as high as 30 feet into the air. Basically, the larger the waves, the larger (and thicker) the spray.
While the "blowhole" is the supposedly the main attraction at this lookout, the real action is in the sea waters themselves: below Halona is the Kaiwi channel, one of the most dangerous and unpredictable ocean channels in the world. The pounding waves crash onto the coastline, often resulting in 10-15' thick sprays against the rocks and stealing the spotlight from the blowhole itself.
The lookout point offers several other opportunities to see waves in action:
* To the left (East) of the lookout is Sandy Beach, popular among experienced bodyboarders and bodysurfers for its pounding waves and powerful shorebreak. It is one of the most dangerous beaches on the island, colloquially called "the beach of broken necks" or "Broke Neck beach" due to numerous inexperienced swimmers having become paralized by severely underestimating the waves' strengths.
* To the right (West) of the blowhole is Halona Beach Cove, a small sandy beach. The rocky point to the west of the beach cove is called Bamboo Ridge, which channels the incoming waves and intensifies them before crashing onto the cove's sides.
Do I have to pay?: no
If so, how much do I have to pay?: 0
Is Parking Availible?: yes
How long of a walk to waymark from Parking?: Under 1/2 mile
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