 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Channels of the Hawaiian Islands" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
In anarchipelago like theHawaiian Islands the water betweenislands is typically called achannel orpassage. Described here are the channels between the islands ofHawaiʻi, arranged from northwest to southeast.
TheKaulakahi Channel separates the islands ofNiʻihau andKauaʻi. It is 17 miles (27 km) wide. Kaulakahi translates to "the single flame (streak of color)."[1]
TheKaʻieʻie Waho Channel, also called theKauaʻi Channel,[2] separates the islands ofKauaʻi andOʻahu, at a distance of 72 miles (116 km). Kaʻieʻie Waho means "Outer Kaʻieʻie," named after the ʻieʻie vine (Freycinetia arborea).[3] The maximum depth of the channel is over 11,000 feet (3,400 m).
TheKaiwi Channel (also known as theMolokai Channel) separates the islands ofOʻahu and Molokaʻi, and is 26 miles (42 km) wide. Maximum depth is 2,300 feet (700 m).Ka Iwi means "the bone."[4] There are annualpaddleboarding andoutrigger canoe paddling contests which traverse this channel; swimming the channel is one of the seven challenges in theOceans Seven open water swimming series.[5]
TheKalohi Channel is the stretch of water separatingLānaʻi andMolokaʻi. Depth of water in this channel is about 260 feet (79 m) and width is 9.3 miles (15.0 km). This is one of the less treacherous channels between islands in the archipelago, although strong winds and choppy sea conditions are frequent.Kaiolohia Beach on the Lānaʻi coast is also known as "Shipwreck Beach" because of a wreck on thereef there. Kalohi means "the slowness."[6]
ThePailolo Channel separates the islands ofMolokaʻi andMaui. Some 8.4 miles (13.5 km) at its narrowest, it is one of the windiest and roughest in the Hawaiian Islands.[7]
TheʻAuʻau Channel is one of the most protected areas of ocean in the Hawaiian Islands, lying betweenLānaʻi and Maui. The channel is also protected byMolokaʻi to the north, and Kahoʻolawe to the south. The depth of the channel reaches 108 feet (33 m), and its width is 8.8 miles (14.2 km). ʻAuʻau channel is a whale-watching center in the Hawaiian Islands.Humpback whales migrate approximately 3,500 miles (5,600 km) fromAlaskan waters each autumn and spend the northern hemisphere winter months in the protected waters of the channel.
ʻAuʻau translates to "to take a bath," referring to its calm bath-like conditions.[8]
TheKealaikahiki Channel is the 17 miles (27 km) channel betweenLānaʻi andKahoʻolawe. It literally means "the road toTahiti", both figuratively and literally, as Tahiti lies generally southward of its orientation. Known informally as the "Tahiti Express" for its strength in that direction.
TheʻAlalākeiki Channel separates the islands ofKahoʻolawe andMaui, at a distance of 7 miles (11 km). ʻAlalākeiki means "crying baby."
TheʻAlenuihāhā separates the island ofHawaiʻi and the island ofMaui. The maximum depth of this channel is 6,100 feet (1,900 m), and the channel is 30 miles (48 km) wide. There is a significant wind funnel effect in the channel, which is subject to scientific investigations. ʻAlenuihāhā means "great billows smashing."[9]`Alenuihāhā is more correctly literally translated to `Ale = cresting, rippling, to form waves; nui = big, large; hāhā = to breathe or blow hard
The middle of the ʻAuʻau channel off Lahaina is known as theLahaina Roads. Once filled with whalers when Lahaina was a capital for that industry, Lahaina Roads were later adopted as an alternate anchorage for the main U.S. Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor. However, Lahaina was not used, and the bulk of the fleet remained moored in Pearl Harbor. The Roads are still a common moorage for oceangoing cruise ships and naval vessels of many flags, including the U.S., whose passengers and crews add to the tourists visiting the island.
TheKumukahi Channel separates the islands ofNiʻihau andLehua. Kumukahi means "first beginning".[10]
TheHoʻomoʻa Channel separates the islands ofLehua andNīhoa. Hoʻomoʻa means "to cook".[11]
TheHawaiʻiloa Channel to the northwest of the islands ofNīhoa. Named afterHawaiʻiloa, hero of an ancient Hawaiian legend about the settling of the Hawaiian Islands.[12]