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Hawaii’s Back yard  Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
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Wildlife thrives at Kauai’s
Kilauea Point
FROM the 180-foot vantage at Kauai's Kilauea Point, the bright blue of the Pacific seems to stretch forever. This is the northernmost spot in the inhabited Hawaiian Islands, a breathtaking outpost that boasts panoramic views of crashing waves, craggy cliffs, pristine beaches and the 203 acres of wilderness managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.Each year, 500,000 visitors explore this seaside sanctuary where spinner dolphins, Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles play. From December through April, humpback whales also can be seen cavorting offshore.
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge was established on Feb. 15, 1985, to protect and encourage the propagation of migratory seabirds and native coastal plants. Naupaka, ilima, hala, aheahea, akoko and the rare alula are flourishing here, along with six seabird species and Hawaii's state bird, the endangered nene (Hawaiian goose).
"We like to refer to them as the 'magnificent seven,'" says Kathy Batha, supervisory park ranger for USFWS. "The refuge provides a habitat for more than 13,500 of these birds, including more than 250 nene. Nesting pairs of seabirds include five white-tailed tropic birds, 160 red-tailed tropic birds, 100 Laysan albatrosses, 1,800 red-footed boobies, and more than 4,500 wedge-tailed shearwaters. While great frigate birds do not yet nest at the refuge, about 200 roost there."
Part of a volcanic vent that last erupted about 500,000 years ago, Kilauea Point is one of just a few places in the main Hawaiian Islands where seabird colonies still exist. You'll be able to get a good look at these colonies during your self-guided tour of this picturesque site.
Two nene goslings find a safe place to nest at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. The state bird is among Hawaii's many endangered animals.
Perched on a bluff that's surrounded on three sides by pounding surf that can rise more than 20 feet this time of year, the lighthouse reigns as one of Kauai's major attractions. Total cost for the 52-foot structure was $77,982, $12,000 of which was earmarked for a magnificent clamshell lens from Paris, the largest of its kind in the world.
Throngs of people gathered to watch as the beacon was first switched on at dusk on May 1, 1913. The Garden Island newspaper reported: "The Kilauea Point Lighthouse, like the Cyclops of old, which swept the sea with their one fierce eye, burst forth its shining eye of warning to the mariner ... while hundreds of country people who had gathered to witness the wonderful sight made the shores and hills ring with astonished delight."
Laysan albatrosses perform their courtship dance, which will be caught on "critter cam" for close-up viewing.
In 1976, the Coast Guard deactivated Kilauea Lighthouse and installed a low-maintenance automatic beacon. Three years later, the Kilauea Point Light Station, including the lighthouse and three former lighthouse keepers' homes, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Purchased by the U.S. government in 1909, this 31-acre property was the start of Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. In 1988, Congress expanded the refuge with the enactment of Public Law 100-653, which authorized the acquisition of adjacent lands, including Mokolea Point and lots on Crater Hill. Additional Crater Hill lots were acquired in 1993 and 1994, bringing the refuge's size to its current 203 acres.
On June 26, 2003, U.S. Rep. Ed Case introduced H.R. 2619, known as the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act, which authorizes further expansion of the refuge by up to 219 acres. Located on the eastern boundary of the refuge, the proposed expansion site consists of three land parcels that are available for purchase.
This area would provide a safe habitat for endangered Hawaiian water birds (including the Hawaiian duck, Hawaiian coot, Hawaiian stilt and Hawaiian moorhen), as well as an additional home for the nene. It includes lo'i (taro terraces) and a high quality estuarine ecosystem at the lower reaches of Kilauea River, which supports native stream life such as the hihiwai (an endemic snail) and oopu (native goby). H.R. 2619 recently passed the House of Representatives and has been introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka.
Batha hopes senators will echo the support of their counterparts in the House.
"We need to protect undeveloped places like Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge to ensure the survival of Hawaii's unique native species," she says. "We need to preserve the beauty and resources of these areas for future generations. What I love most about my job is seeing the excitement and wonder in children's faces as they learn about the birds and plants at the refuge. It truly is one of Hawaii's most valuable natural treasures."
If you go ...
What: Kilauea Point National Wildlife RefugeLocation: From Lihue, drive north on Highway 56 about 23 miles to Kilauea. Turn right at the Kilauea exit. Turn left on Kilauea Road, which leads to the refuge's entrance.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except federal holidays
Admission: $3 per person; free for ages 15 and younger. An annual kamaaina family pass costs $12.
Call: 808-828-1413
On the Net: www.fws.gov and www.kilaueapoint.com
Notes: The refuge's Visitor Center features dioramas of native birds found in Kauai's coastal, wetland and forest habitats, and a large relief map of the main Hawaiian Islands. Interpretive panels detailing Hawaii's ecosystems accompany the map. The Kilauea Point Natural History Association maintains a shop in the Visitor Center where you can purchase books, T-shirts, maps and other mementos of Hawaii's natural history. Sales help support the refuge's interpretive and education programs.
Exhibits at the Contact Station focus on the historic Kilauea Point Lighthouse and wildlife found at the refuge. Binoculars can be used here, free of charge. Picnicking is not allowed at the refuge because food crumbs attract rodents, which harm ground-nesting seabirds. The waters off Kilauea Point are part of NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
Next year, the refuge will host three special events:
» Lighthouse Day on May 7
» Family Ocean Fair on a yet-to-be-determined Saturday in July, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
» National Wildlife Refuge Week on the second week in October