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Emma Taylor

Professor Slye

English 1201

2 May 2021

What makes Hawaii Unique?

Hawaii is a U.S. state that consists of eight islands. It is the only US state that is not

attached to North America. Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean. Hawaii is home to some of

the most amazing features in the world. There are many locations around the world that have

some of the same features as Hawaii but no other location around the world has all of the

features that make Hawaii special. Hawaii is like nowhere else in the world and houses beautiful

waterfalls, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, stunting beaches, hikes with views of the entire

island, and wildlife with birds like the Hawaiian Stilt and fish like the Yellow Tang.

Hawaii’s Islands include, Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau and

Kahoolawe. The four main islands and the most popular ones are Oahu, Maui, Hawaii and

Kauai. Hawaii is also known as The Big Island because it is the biggest island out of all eight

islands. The Hawaiian Islands were formed from volcanic activity. “The Earth’s outer crust is

made up of a series of tectonic plates that move over the surface of the planet. In areas where the

plates come together, sometimes volcanoes will form. Volcanoes can also form in the middle of

a plate, where magma rises upward until it erupts on the seafloor, at what is called a ‘hot

spot’(US Department of Commerce).” The Hawaiian Islands were formed by a hot spot in the

middle of the Pacific Plate. The hot spot that created Hawaii was believed to be fixed, meaning

that it is stationary and does not move. However researchers have found that the plate is actually
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moving. This means that as the plate moved over the hot spot, the string of islands that make up

the Hawaiian Island chain, were then formed.

Hawaii was discovered by polynesians 1500 years ago. Captain James Cook was the first

European to discover Hawaii when he landed at Waimea Bay on Kauai in 1778. In 1810 the

Hawaiian Islands were united by Kamehameha I. The capital of Hawaii during 1820-1845 was

Lahania (Hawaii Tourism Authority). Now in current times the capital of Hawaii is Honolulu.

Hawaii also had many sugar plantations. The first one being in 1835 on Kauai. The islands of

Hawaii are recognized for their prime agricultural land. After the first sugar plantation was

created many more began to pop up all over Hawaii. Agriculture was a dominant economic

force.

In more recent times Hawaii is also recognized for being surprise attacked in 1941 on

December 7th during World War II. The attack was led by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor which is

on Oahu. A while after the attack Japan signed an unconditional surrender in 1945. Hawaii was

voted as an official state in 1959. It became the 50th state of The United States of America.

Hawaii is famous for its volcanoes and in 1990 Kilauea erupted destroying the town of Kalapana.

The lava from the eruption lengthened the coastline by 1,000 feet further into the pacific ocean

(Hawaii Tourism Authority).

Many people love Hawaii because of the consistent temperature the islands have to offer.

Hawaii has a mid tropical climate because it is just below the tropic of cancer. By many people

the climate is considered to be ideal. The northeast trade winds condition Hawaii almost year

round, this means that Hawaii has a temperature that changes about 10 degrees from winter to

summer. The temperature only changes from winter to summer because Hawaii is considered to

only have two seasons, summer and winter. Summer lasts from May through October and winter
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lasts from November to April, winter is considered the rainy season. To give an example of how

consistent the weather is year round, in the summertime Honolulu’s average temperature is in the

high 70’s and in the winter it is in the low 70’s in degrees fahrenheit (Motteler).

The Big Island, Hawaii, has several volcanoes and is the home of Hawaii Volcanoes

National Park. The park’s boundaries consist of parts of Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Mauna Loa

and Kilauea are a part of an archipelago that consists of five broad volcanoes in Hawaii.

Kilauea’s eruptions still happen today. Since 1980 Lava buildup has created an additional 400

acres of land on the island (Bequette). Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was established in 1916

and is 323,431 acres. This National Park celebrates two volcanoes, one very tall, and one very

active. Kīlauea is one of the planet's most active hot spots. Red-hot lava continually rushes

across the land from this volcano. Mauna Loa is 13,679 feet tall and is the world's largest

volcano. Crater Rim Drive is an auto trail that provides easy access to the park’s main attractions

(Staff). The trail is near the edge of Kīlauea Caldera and leads to view points where people can

see into the caldera and smell the sulfur scent (Staff). In the park is the Niaulani Rainforest.

There are many beautiful hikes there that people enjoy doing. On this auto trail magma can be

seen exploding from Halema'uma'u Crater from a terrace behind the Jaggar Museum. From the

auto trail people go for a short hike to see Kīlauea Iki Crater and Nāhuku Thurston Lava Tube.

There is also Chain of Craters Road. It is 20 miles through volcanic landforms like Kīlauea

Caldera and Hōlei Sea Arch (Staff). This route also features many overlooks where people are

able to pull off and see the beautiful scenery. On this trail one can see where the lava from

Pu’u’Ō’ō Crater meets the ocean. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park features many hikes where

people are able to see the volcanoes, rain forest, where the lava meets the ocean and more

(Yogerst).
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Hawaii Volcanoes is Kipuka Puaula, which is Hawaiian for bird park (Bequette). This

Kipulka features many trees, plants and species of birds (Doughty). Many different species of

birds live in Hawaii. The endemic birds have many characteristics. They include the Nene,

Hawaiian Goose, the Hawaiian Stilt, and many small birds known as Honeycreepers (Mottler).

Some of the species of birds on Hawaii are extremely rare like the Alala which is a Hawaiian

Crow. There are seabirds that live in profusion in the archipelago. Mynas, Sparrows, Cardinals

and Doves live in the trees in rural and urban areas. The amazing Golden Plover makes an

astonishing 4,000 mile trip from Alaska to Hawaii every autumn (Motteler).

Hawaii has some of the most amazing waterfalls. On Kauai there are two main ones, and

on the other island there are many less popular ones. Wailua Falls and ‘Opaeka’a Falls. Wailua

Falls is a double tiered waterfall that is 173 feet tall, taller than Niagra Falls. People are able to

see it from highway 56. Some people swim in the pool below the falls. It is 33 feet deep.

However, getting down there might be tricky. People can take a walk down to the turn-around

near there and use the ladder or if one is able they can hop a stone wall and walk behind a chain

linked fence about 100 feet then take a steep trail down to the pool. Neither of these ways are

professionally maintained so it is recommended that everyone stays at the top. ‘Opaeka’a Falls

can also be seen from the road, it is off of 580 (Doughty and Boyd). There are three other

waterfalls that are beautiful and very popular. Waipoo Falls is an 800 foot waterfall in the

Waimea Canyon. People can see this glorious waterfall from highway 550 or there is the option

to hike 3.2 miles to get down to it. Hanakapi’ai Falls is a 300 foot tall waterfall and requires a

difficult hike to get there. And lastly, Uluwehi Falls, Secret Falls, is about 100 feet tall and

requires a canoe or a kayak to get there. The waterfall rushes into a pool at the bottom where

many people enjoy a nice swim (Beach).

Figure 2. In this picture is Wailua Falls. This waterfall is located on Kauai. It is 173 feet

tall. This picture was taken from Highway 56 (Hawaii Tourism Authority).

Hawaii has a very unique culture. In Hawaii the native language is Hawaiian. Hawaii

developed their traditions from Native Hawians, Missionaries, and Laborers from the plantations

(Hawaii Tourism Authority). They all brought traditions they did from their home and they

created new ones. The honi ihu is a tradition in Hawaii. It is the touching of noses. This tradition

is used as a way of greeting people. It symbolized the closeness of relationships and the

exchange of breath. The exchange of breath is a symbol of understanding. The most common

tradition that people think of when they hear Hawaii is the lei. The lei is a necklace or headband

made of flowers, bird feathers, shells, seeds and hair or ivory (Hawaii Tourism Authority). The
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lei can be worn either around one's neck or on top of their head. The lei was originally used to

signify the rank of people like chiefs. Giving or receiving a lei was a traditional Hawaiian

practice. However many years ago when a person received a lei, it was tied around the neck out

of respect for a person's head and back. Now it is presented over one's head. Many people have

heard of the Hula dance before. The Hula is a traditional dance in Hawaii. It is performed for

religious purposes and entertainment. To perform the hula at a luau it involves training, technical

skill and knowledge from teachers who have a long line of advanced wisdom from masters

(Hawaii Tourism Authority). The hula was meant to be done in private however, you will see a

lot of the hula in public. The Luau is also a big part of Hawaiian culture. A luau is “a Hawaiian

feast featuring lively music and vibrant cultural performances from Hawaii and graeter polynesia

(Hawaii Tourism Authority).” The luau can also be called ahaaina or paina. The name luau was a

testimonial to taro leaves being the base of many popular dishes. Originally luau was just a

nickname for the feast but over many years the nickname luau stuck. The first luau feast was

predicted to be in 1819. Before this date there was a rule called Kapu. It stated that men and

women could not eat together or share a meal. Over 200 years later, luaus are still being

celebrated today. However many of the dishes reflect a mulit-cultural society, meaning, not all of

the dishes served at a luau today are traditional Hawiian dishes (Hawaii Tourism Authority).
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Figure 1. This picture shows what a modern Hawaiian luau looks like. On the stage are

Native Hawaiians performing traditional dances like the hula. There are long tables where people

can sit to enjoy the feast and watch the performance (Hawaii Tourism Authority).

Hawaii does not just have beautiful scenery and wildlife, it has many activities for

everyone to enjoy. Activities that include hiking, snorkeling cruises, Pearl Harbor, auto tours like

the Road to Hana, luaus and so much more. There are hiking trails in Hawaii that are for all skill

levels and some trails are even paved to be wheelchair accessible. The Koko Crater Tramway to

Kokohead Lookout is a moderate 1.8 mile hike on Oahu that gives you an amazing panoramic

view of the east Honolulu shoreline. It features wildflowers and is also good for trail running.

The Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail is an easy 2.5 mile hike in Oahu that is paved so it is good

for people of all skill levels. This hike features lookouts where it is possible for people to watch

for whales and the historic red-roofed Makapu’u Lighthouse (alltrails) that was built in 1909.

Hanakapi’ai Falls Trail is a hard 7 mile hike in Kauai. This trail features a waterfall and 2 mile

into the hike is the Hanakapi’ai Beach. Na Pali Coast, Kalalau, Trail is a difficult 22 mile hike in
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Kauai. This hike features a beautiful waterfall and is located along the coast of Na Pali. It has

scenic views throughout the hike but is recommended only for experienced hikers (alltrails).

Snorkeling in Hawaii allows people to explore the reef, see fish, turtles, and sometimes

even dolphins. When going snorkeling on the Big Island all you have to do is drive to a beach,

put the proper snorkel gear on and go in the water (Veltra Company). There is also the option to

go on a snorkeling cruise. People can take a boat to a location along a reef and snorkel there too.

When exploring fringing reefs there is mostly hard coral. The west sides of the island have the

best snorkeling locations. Maui is also a great place to go snorkeling. Many fish are located

towards Maui, this makes it great for snorkeling. Some of the fish include the Fourspot

Butterflyfish. It has a bright yellow lower body and a black top half of its body. It has two white

spots on both sides of it which is why it is called the Fourspot Butterflyfish. The Yellow Tang

fish is the easiest fish to spot because of its bright yellow color. The Sergeant major Fish was

named for its five solid black stripes that run vertically against its blue body (Hawaii Ocean

Project). While snorkeling it is not uncommon to see creatures like sea turtles and dolphins. They

are a part of what makes snorkeling the Hawaiian Islands, special.

The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is located in Hawaii. This memorial is a white

rectangular building located on the water. Pearl Harbor was a U.S. naval base that was surprise

attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States. The memorial tells

the story of the attack in depth and explains how it affected the United States (National Parks

Service).

The Road to Hana is a famous road known for its astonishing views and sights along the

way. It is 64.4 miles long. The Road to Hana features waterfalls, hiking trails, gardens, beaches,

national parks, stores and so much more. The Garden of Eden Arboretum is located near mile
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marker 10. The garden features a 100 year old mango tree, duck pond and bird feeding area,

enchanted forest, banana patch, Anthurium Garden and the Upper Puohokamoa Waterfall.

Hanawi Falls can be found slightly after mile marker 24. Water cascades from 200 feet above.

The best view of this waterfall is off of the Hanawi Stream Bridge. The Hana Lava Tube formed

approximately 960 years ago from molten lava spewing up from underground and flowing

toward the ocean. When the lava on the top cooled, it formed a crust and then allowed lava to

flow through it for about 2 more years (Hawaii Web Group). All of the lava flowed out which is

why people can now walk through it. Hamoa Beach is one of the many beautiful beaches along

the Road to Hana. The Hamoa Beach is shaped like a crescent and is lined with Hala Trees. The

sand is silky, unlike other beaches where there may be lava rock and sharp coral. The water is

crystal clear and bright blue. The Road to Hana can never disappoint and features many sights

that make Hawaii special and unlike anywhere else (Hawaii Web Group).

Hawaii is well known for their amazing Luau’s. A luau is a Hawaiian feast. Some of the

most popular luau dishes are Poi which is pounded taro plant root; a starch, Kalua Pig which is

pork prepared in an underground oven, Laulau is meat wrapped in luau leaves and steamed

(Hawaii Tourism Authority). Haupia is coconut puding and Poke is a new global delicacy

prepared with raw fish, soy sauce, green onions, candle nut and seaweed (Hawaii Tourism

Authority). The most common place to experience a luau is on Maui but they can be found on

any of the Hawaiian Islands.

Some people may be concerned with the fact that Kilauea’s eruptions still happen today.

The activity of Kilauea is monitored regularly. Kilauea is currently erupting. It is not spewing

lava at this moment but the level of the lava is rising extremely slow. As of March 26, 2021 the

lava activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu (National Parks Service). The lava is erupting from a
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vent on the northwest side of the crater. On the morning of March 26, 2021 the lava lake was 224

meters deep. However according to the National Parks Service Website, the seismicity remains

stable so there is no need to worry about lava flowing out any time soon. Mauna Loa is not

erupting. A small swarm of seismicity is occurring beneath the upper Ka‘ōiki seismic zone

(National Parks Service). Other Mauna Loa monitoring streams remain stable and have shown no

signs of increased activity (National Parks Service).

Some people may say that there are many other tropical places in the world like Hawaii.

They would say places like Aruba, Mexico and Key West are just as special as Hawaii. However

they are not. In Aruba you can see beautiful waterfalls and white sandy beaches. Mexico has

hiking trails through the mountains, beautiful beaches and mariachi bands that perform

traditional music. And lastly, in Key West they have sailing, pubs, motor bus tours around the

city and of course beaches. Aruba, Mexico, Key West and Hawaii do have many things in

common but does Aruba, Mexico or Key West have volcanoes, Special Native Birds, or

activities like the Road to Hana, hikes with views like volcanoes, beaches, and overviews of the

entire island. The answer is no. There is no other place in the world where you can experience

everything Hawaii has to offer in another part of the world. This is why Hawaii is so unique.

Many places all over the globe have beautiful beaches and some hiking options but in Hawaii

there are beaches, hiking options including astonishing views, volcanoes, amazing waterfalls,

native birds and fish, and activities like the Road to Hana, luaus and snorkeling. Why go

somewhere with just a beach, waterfall, and some hiking trails when Hawaii has much more than

just the average beach or tropical location.

In conclusion Hawaii is unique and unlike anywhere else in the world. Hawaii houses

beautiful waterfalls, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, stunting beaches, hikes with views of the
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entire island, and wildlife with birds like the Hawaiian Stilt and fish like the Yellow Tang.

Hawaii also has amazing activities for the whole family to enjoy.
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Association, 25 June 2019, poipubeach.org/blog/5-must-see-waterfalls-kauai.

Bequette, France. “Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.” UNESCO Courier, vol. 49, no. 11, Nov.

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Doughty, Andrew, and Leona Boyd. The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed. Wizard

Publications, Inc., 2019.

Doughty, Andrew. Hawaii the Big Island Revealed: the Ultimate Guidebook. Wizard

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2020, roadtohana.com/sights.php.

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