I wrote this story in my web site Splash of Kauai about a trip to Niihau in February 2006. I have changed and added a few pictures for this gallery. Our friend Shun who worked for a web site for Japanese visitors, was writting this travel book. The title translates to Go Kauai and see Niihau. Of course, he had to come to Kauai and see Niihau to get material for the book. We helped him get around Kauai and get to Niihau. I don’t think mo-hawaii still exists.
I was working for Blue Dolphin Charters at the time and I took him on a Niihau trip. Which snorkels next to Niihau without landing on it. The weather was a bit iffy that day and the captain made the decision to not cross over to Niihau. He did get to see it from a distance and see the NaPali coast which he had already seen before. He did get to see these dolphins though. We were a little disappointed but Niihau is hard to get to. Kauai 2006
There is Niihau Helicopters which does helicopter tours and landings on Niihau. So, Shun decided to go on the helicopter. There was a four person minimun to fly. No one else signed up so, we got the other seats. Niihau is famous for the shell leis that the people of Niihau make. The shell leis above were for sale at the Niihau Helicopter office. Kauai 2006
It was whale season, so we saw whales on the way over to Niihau. 2006
The tour goes around the coast of Niihau. They do detour around the village of Puuwai where most of the people of Niihau live on the island. Niihau 2006
On the West coast of Niihau. 2006
Lehua Island North of Niihau is where the tour boats from Kauai usually dive or snorkel on Niihau trips. 2006
The North end of Niihau is low with scrub. The island is very arid. 2006
We landed at a place called Kii Landing on the Northeast corner of Niihau. The people of Niihau travel and get supplies on an old landing craft that lands on the beach. They have a few areas where the landing craft lands. It depends on the weather and surf conditions. 2006
A Hawaiian Monk Seal at Kii Landing. In the background there are sea cliffs on the middle East side of Niihau. The cliffs go up about 300m 2006
They have wild boar on Niihau. They also have hunting trips for people who like to kill animals. 2006
Looking at the Northeast side of Niihau with Lehua behind. There is also a navy tracking station on top of the cliffs. 2006
The Helicopter pilot caught a papio while we were there. Niihau 2006
The Southeast corner of Niihau. The hill at the top of the picture is a cindercone on the South point of Niihau. It has a crater open to the ocean. 2006
I think that this is a landing spot for the landing craft, on the West side of Niihau. 2006
Niihau has large lakes. They are very shallow and can dry out. The squares you can see on them were made before WW II to prevent the Japanese from just landing on the dry lakes and taking over the island as a base for attacking Hawaii. As it was a Japanese plane crash landed on Niihau after attacking Pearl Harbor and the pilot briefly took over the island. Read “The Niihau Incident” by Allan Beekman if you want to know more about that.
Niihau is mainly low and dry. It was bought by the family that still owns it in 1864 from the King of Hawaii. The family also owns about the same amount of land on Kauai. 2006
The sand is very white on Niihau. 2006
Some of shells that they make leis out of. Niihau 2006
Another Hawaiian Monk Seal resting on the beach at Niihau. We saw two Monk Seals while we were there. They can also be seen resting on beaches on Kauai too. Niihau 2006
The Niihau Helicopter lunch. 2006
I went for a swim to get some underwater pictures for the book. We ate this lobster for dinner. Niihau 2006