A constant stream of people enjoyed the scenery of Hanauma Bay last week as they walked down the path toward the beach.
The annual ranking by "Dr. Beach"
cites the bay's beauty and sea life
Hanauma Bay's horseshoe shape must have brought it luck, because the Koko Head landmark has catapulted to the top of America's best beaches.
The bay -- long distinguished by its coral sand beach, aquamarine waters and rainbow-colored sea life -- topped the 14th annual rankings out today from Stephen Leatherman, the Florida environmental scientist known as "Dr. Beach."
Leatherman's list of his 10 favorite beaches in America is published each Memorial Day weekend, just in time for the summer travel rush.
"Hanauma Bay is the only beach in the country where you can swim with a multitude of colorful tropical fish in clear, emerald-green, waist-deep water with a fine, white sandy bottom," Leatherman said.
Leatherman, a coastal expert and professor at Florida International University in Miami, visits more than 100 beaches each year, conferring with a variety of experts and using a 50-criteria system to make his selections.
Hanauma Bay, named the nation's top beach yesterday by Stephen "Dr. Beach" Leatherman, has an average of 3,000 visitors a day.
Although Florida beaches dominated Leatherman's most recent list, Hanalei Bay on the north shore of Kauai also earned a spot. Kaanapali Beach on Maui, last year's national winner, was excluded from the survey. Once a beach earns the top spot on Leatherman's list, he removes it from consideration.The beauty of Hanauma Bay and its environmental importance have long made the beach attractive to visitors, said Alan Hong, property manager for the area.
"When people first see Hanauma Bay, they have an emotional reaction," Hong said. "It's a lifetime experience to be able to get in water and interact with marine life."
Hanauma Bay is one of the most unique swimming and snorkeling sites in the world, said John Clark, author of the "Beaches of Hawaii" series and a friend of Leatherman. Clark, who served as Leatherman's escort when he came to Hawaii last November to evaluate the state's beaches, said he wasn't surprised that the bay topped the list.
It stands out even among Hawaii's beaches, which have topped the list all but once in the last nine years, he said. Florida has been the only other state to top the list since rankings started in 1991, he added.
"Hanauma Bay should be recognized as one of the top beaches in the nation," Clark said. "Where else can swimmers and snorkelers spend time in a flooded volcano, complete with a beautiful reef and a white-sand beach?"
Masashi Ogawa and Shinji Asaya took a nap at the East Oahu bay last week.
But Hanauma Bay possesses more than just beauty, Leatherman said, recognizing the beach's innovative environmental management.When headcounts began to threaten the area's delicate ecosystem, officials instituted a no-smoking policy, limited access to the bay and opened the Hanauma Bay Marine Education Center, he said.
Regulations have reduced traffic at Hanauma Bay by about a third, Hong said. The bay drew 10,000 visitors a day during the peak years of Hawaii's visitor industry, he said.
"We had as many as 42 people coming by bus every 57 seconds," Hong said. "It got to the point that we didn't want to promote Hanauma Bay any further because it just made our job harder."
Now, Hong worries more notoriety could make the bay a victim of its own popularity. He hopes visitors will be patient with increased wait times and that they'll treat the preserve as "a living museum," leaving behind their volleyball nets and hibachis.
"Hanauma Bay is a resource that needs to be preserved for future generations," Hong said. "By managing this resource, we make it more attractive."
Choice coasts
The best beaches for 2004, according to rankings compiled by Stephen Leatherman, the coastal expert and Florida International University professor known as "Dr. Beach."
1. Hanauma Bay, Hawaii
Stephen Leatherman
2. Fort De Soto Park, Fla.
3. Ocracoke Island, N.C.
4. Caladesi Island State Park, Fla.
5. Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.
6. Hanalei Bay, Hawaii
7. Crescent Beach, Siesta Key, Fla.
8. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.
9. Cape Florida State Park, Fla.
10. Coronado Beach, Calif.
