About the Hawaiian Islands

June 16th, 2004

Geography

There are 6 main Hawaiian Islands (the ones you can visit); they are: Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and the island called Hawaii, which most refer to as "The Big Island." The islands are physically located in the Pacific ocean, almost 2300 miles from San Francisco.

The islands were formed as the Pacific tectonic plate moved over a volcanic hotspot on the ocean floor. Of the main Hawaiian islands, Kauai was formed first, and hence is the oldest. You can easily spot the difference between the weather-worn, foliage-covered cliffs of Kauai and the harsh, bare mountains of the Big Island.

Besides being the youngest island, the Big Island is actually still being built. The Big Island currently sits over the volcanic hotspot. It is feeding Kilauea Volcano now, and new land is being formed every day.

Hawaiian Island Facts

State Nickname = The Aloha State
State Flag = part british, part american design
State Motto = Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono, which means "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness"
State Fish = Humuhumunukunukuapua'a
State Bird = Nene
State Flower = Hibiscus

Hawaii Weather

Hawaii has two seasons only: summer and winter. Summer is from May to October and winter is from November to April. Hurricane season is druing the summer, although Hawaii traditionally has many fewer Hurricane incidents than Florida. Whale season is during the winter when the Humpback whales migrate from Alaska to vacation in Hawaiian waters.

At my house (windward side of the Big Island) my thermometer in the shade hovers just above 80 degrees farenheit all year long. The nights in the winter are cooler (maybe down to 60) but most days in Hawaii are just about perfect. It doesn't get too hot and it never gets cold. However at elevation, say in Volcano Village or up on Haleakala it can and will get quite cold. It even snows in the winter on Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

Winter is the rainy season and we definitely do get more rain in the winter than in the summer. However, most tourist areas are centered on leeward or south sides of the islands where they just don't get my rain ever. For example, Hilo (on the windward side of the Big Island) can get 120 inches of rain a year, while Puako (on the leeward side of the Big Island) gets only about 7 inches of rain a year. The rain clouds are blown in over Hilo, dump some rain, and then get trapped on the Hilo side of the mountains so the rest of the island gets nothing.

The biggest got vacation spot in that is in a rainbelt is Princeville on Kauai. It does rain the most at night but, especially if you go in the winter, you will see rain during the day there.