Hanalei Bay
Encyclopedia
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The town of Hanalei
Hanalei, Hawaii
Hanalei is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 478 at the 2000 census. Hanalei means "lei making" in Hawaiian...
is at the mid-point of the bay.
Hanalei Bay consists of nearly two miles of beach, surrounded by mountains. In the summer, the bay offers excellent mooring for sailboats, stand up paddle boarding and swimming. The Princeville
Princeville, Hawaii
Princeville is a census-designated place on the north shore of the island of Kauai in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 1,698 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Princeville is located at ....
community overlooks from the northeast entrance to the bay of Hanalei River
Hanalei River
The Hanalei River on the island of Kauai in Hawaii flows north from the eastern slopes Mount Waialeale for until entering the Pacific Ocean at Hanalei Bay as an estuary...
, 22°12′52"N 159°29′52"W. During the winter the surf becomes large and is a favorite surf location.
The wetlands of Hanalei Bay were used to grow taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
by ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
ans.
By the 1860s, the new crop was rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, which was shipped to Honolulu to become the second largest export crop of the islands. The Hanalei Pier
Hanalei Pier
Hanalei Pier is a pier built into Hanalei Bay on the northern shore of island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii.-History:The wetlands of Hanalei Bay were used to grow taro by ancient Hawaiians...
was built to help Hanalei farmers move their crops to market.
The covered pier's location near the mouth of the Hanalei River and Black Pot beach has long been a favorite family gathering place for fishing, picnicking, swimming, and playing.
On April 5, 1824, King Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu Iolani...
’s royal yacht, Pride of Hawaii
Cleopatra's Barge
Cleopatra's Barge was an opulent yacht built in Massachusetts in 1816. It became the Royal Yacht of King Kamehameha II who named it Haaheo o Hawaii , but was wrecked in the Hawaiian Islands in 1824.-Building:...
, sank near the mouth of the Waioli River, 22°12′14"N 159°30′37"W, on the southwest corner of the bay after its crew struck a 5 feet (1.5 m) reef a hundred yards offshore. It is believed the captain and crew were drunk at the time. A large section of the ship’s hull washed ashore in 1844 in a winter storm surge, but most of this historic wreck remains buried in silt in the bay. In 1995-2000, archaeologists from the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
's National Museum of American History excavated the wreck and recovered more than 1,200 artifacts. During this excavation, a 40 feet (12.2 m) section of the stern was discovered, documented, and then re-buried where it was discovered.
The Waioli mission
Waioli Mission District
The Waioli Mission District at Hanalei Bay, on Route 560 along the north shore of the island of Kauai, is the site of a historic mission. The first permanent missionaries to the area arrived in 1834, and the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.-Description:Wai oli...
at the southwest included a school and church since the 1830s.
Japanese author Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer and translator. His works of fiction and non-fiction have garnered him critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Franz Kafka Prize and Jerusalem Prize among others.He is considered an important figure in postmodern literature...
wrote a short story entitled "Hanalei Bay" set in the area. The story is included in the collection Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is a collection of short stories by Japanese author Haruki Murakami....
.