Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [115]
This short detour returns you to the Pali Hwy just in time to exit at the Nu′uanu Pali Lookout (Map) for its sweeping view of the Windward Coast from a height of 1200ft. From this popular lookout, you can see Kane′ohe straight ahead, Kailua to the right, and Mokoli′i Island and the coastal fishpond at Kualoa Regional Park to the far left. The winds that funnel through the pali here are so strong that you can sometimes lean against them; it’s usually cool enough that you’ll want a jacket.
A pedestrian-only section of the Old Pali Hwy winds down from the right of the lookout, ending abruptly at a barrier near the current highway about a mile away. Few people realize the road is here, let alone venture down it – and thus miss out on the magnificent views looking back up at the snaggle-toothed Ko′olau Range and out across the broad valley. It’s worth walking just five minutes down the paved path for a photo-op.
As you get back on the highway, it’s easy to miss the sign leading you out of the parking lot, and instinct could send you in the wrong direction. As you drive out of the parking lot, go left if you’re heading toward Kailua and right toward Honolulu. Several TheBus routes travel the Pali Hwy, but none stop at the lookout.
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WAIMANALO
pop 3600
A breadbasket of small family farms, this proud Hawaiian community sprawls alongside O′ahu’s longest beach, with white sands stretching 5.5 miles all the way to Makapu′u Point (Click here). What could be just the usual palm-fringed beach and sparkling sea is prettily punctuated by offshore islands and a coral reef a mile offshore that keeps the breaks at a reasonable distance. As elsewhere, don’t leave valuables in your car, as break-ins and theft are common.
Sights & Activities
WAIMANALO BEACH PARK
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: DOLPHIN SWIMS
You might want to think twice before signing up for a dolphin swim in the Hawaiian Islands, especially on O′ahu. Although many of these ‘dolphin encounter’ programs claim to be ecofriendly and educational, the realities of this for-profit business are more complex.
In the wild, acrobatic spinner dolphins are nocturnal feeders that come into sheltered bays during the day to rest. Although it may look tempting to swim out and join them, these intelligent animals are very sensitive to human disturbance. That’s why it’s illegal to approach them too closely. Some tour boats allow swimmers to approach the dolphins much closer than the federal guideline of 50yd. Even when wild dolphins appear frolicsome and ‘happy’ to see you, as swimmers commonly report, encountering humans tires them out, according to many marine biologists, so that the dolphins may not have enough energy later to feed or defend themselves. Repeated encounters with humans have driven some dolphins out of their natural habitats to seek less-safe resting places.
In captivity, dolphins are trained to perform for humans using a variety of techniques, ranging from positive behavioral training to food deprivation. Instead of encouraging natural behaviors, captive dolphins are sometimes subjected to artificial routines that can be painful and cause the animals to exhibit signs of stress. Programs that let children or even adults ‘ride’ the dolphins by hanging onto the animals’ dorsal fins are the most questionable, as some captive dolphins have had to undergo surgery to repair damaged fins. On average, captive dolphins die faster than their wild cousins, mostly due to exposure to human-borne illnesses and bacteria. Before signing up for an expensive ‘dolphin encounter,’ you may want to visit the facility first and ask questions about the animals’ care and training.
The success of dolphin swim programs in Hawaii and elsewhere in