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Hawaii loses For the first time in seven years, a Hawaii beach is not the top beach in the nation according to a ranking of "America's Best Beaches," compiled by Stephen P. Leatherman, a top coastal expert and professor at Florida International University in Miami who is more popularly called Dr. Beach.
‘best beach’ honor
Florida's Panhandle takes the
top ranking, but 4 island
beaches make the annual listStaff and news reports
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in the Florida Panhandle is named the nation's best beach for 2002 for its sugar-fine white shores, emerald waters and huge sand dunes.
Still, four Hawaii beaches are in the top 10: Hanalei on Kauai, Kaanapali on Maui, Hamoa on Maui and Oahu's Hanauma Bay.
There's a catch in the "America's Best Beaches" rankings: Any beach that topped the list in a previous year is automatically ineligible, including many of Hawaii's best sands.
Last year, Poipu on Kauai was the top beach, a remarkable achievement in that the beach there was devastated by Hurricane Iniki in September 1992.
Other previous Hawaii top beaches include Kapalua, Maui; Hapuna, Big Island; Lanikai; Hulopoe, Lanai, near Manele Bay; Kailua on Oahu; Wailea, Maui; and Mauna Kea Beach (Kaunaoa) in South Kohala.
The annual ratings are based on 50 criteria that cover almost every measure of beach health, including sand quality, water temperature and presence of litter. Leatherman's list also is based on personal visits and constant contact with naturalists, park rangers and scientists around the nation.
St. Joe's finished second in the rankings last year.
Hanalei Beach jumped from fourth to second. Kaanapali was third for the second consecutive year. Fort DeSoto, also in Florida, moved up two spots to fourth, while Caladesi Island rounded out the top five for the second straight year.
The others in order were Ocracoke Island in North Carolina, Hamoa Beach, East Hampton Beach in New York, Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, and Hanauma Bay rounded out this year's list.
