But within less than an hour, the National Weather Service Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat and canceled the watch.

The warning center in Honolulu issued the tsunami watch for Hawai‘i following what at first was recorded as a 7.5-magnitude earthquake reported at 8:49 p.m. located 89.5 miles east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia.

Forecasters issued the watch because available data at the time indicated there might be the threat of a possible destructive tsunami generated by the quake off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia, that could impact coastal areas even far away from its epicenter.

Further updates were planned for every hour — or as conditions warranted — until the threat passed.

If one of the terrible series of large ocean waves was heading toward Hawai‘i, the earliest estimated time of arrival would have been about 5 hours and 40 minutes after the watch was issued, at 2:43 a.m. July 20.

It took forecasters less than an hour, however, to pour over the data and determine whether there was a tsunami threat to the islands.

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center sent out a new notification at 9:42 p.m. declaring the tsunami watch canceled and with a slightly downgraded magnitude for the earthquake of 7.4.

“Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat to the state of Hawai‘i,” the agency said in its later notification. “This will be the final message issued for this event unless additional data are received.”

After people began to realize there no longer was a threat, a giant sigh of relief washed over social media, with many thanking God or “the Lord” and saying amen for the good news. There was at least one “Hallelujah.”

“[Watch] has been cancelled,” replied Judy Kelley to her own post in the Everything Kaua‘i group on Facebook. “Relax. Enjoy your Mai Tai.”

U.S. Geological Survey explained that the 7.4-magnitude quake occurred as the result of reverse faulting at a depth of about 12 miles.

At the location of this earthquake, the Pacific plate is moving west-northwest with respect to the North America plate at about 3 inches per year.

Note: The North America plate extends westward beyond the North American continent. The earthquake’s location and sense of motion is consistent with the faulting on the subduction zone plate interface of the Kuril-Kamchatka Arc.

While commonly plotted as points on maps, earthquakes of this size are more appropriately described as slips over a larger fault area.

The Kuril-Kamchatka arc has frequent moderate to large earthquakes and has hosted 29 additional 6.5-magnitude or above events within about 155 miles of the July 19 earthquake throughout the preceding century.

A magnitude-9 Kamchatka earthquake in November 1952 resulted in a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami that reached the shores of Hawai‘i, causing damage on the Big Island and elsewhere.

Information from University of Washington College of the Environment Department of Earth and Space Sciences shows tsunami waves destroyed boats, knocked down telephone lines, destroyed piers, scoured beaches and flooded lawns in 1952.

A small bridge connecting Cocoanut Island to the shore at Hilo Bay was destroyed by a wave when it was lifted off its foundation and smashed down when water swept in with a runup of 12 feet.

Elsewhere around Hilo Bay — which recorded the highest levels of runup from the 1952 tsunami generated by the magnitude-9 Kamchatka quake — water levels could have gotten as high as 11.5 feet. The water level rose to 11 feet at Reed’s Bay.

The July 19 temblor struck roughly 45 miles northeast from the 1952 quake’s epicenter.

Some on social media said it’s still important to be vigilant regardless if there is no longer a threat of tsunami waves striking Hawai‘i shores.

“Just FYI,” replied Rob Jr. See to a Facebook post by Dane DuPont in the Hawai‘i Tracker group letting people know the tsunami watch was canceled. “I’ve been through a lot of watches and warnings. The surge still exists. I’ve seen many pulled out to sea because of this. Stay vigilant. Don’t be stupid and think you’re invincible while picking ʻopihi or diving during this time.”

A member of a private Hawaiian Paradise Park group on Facebook informed people the watch was canceled, but encouraged everyone to “feel free to sleep with surfboard tonite for extra precaution.”

The U.S. Geological Survey showed at least an additional nine earthquakes, aftershocks, of magnitude-5 or above — one magnitude-6.6 and another magnitude 6.7 — had followed the 7.4-magnitude monster that caused the tsunami excitement.

Adding in quakes of magnitude-4 or above, there were 15 more strong shakers before this story was published.

Visit the National Weather Service Honolulu forecast office website or call the automated weather line at 808-245-6001 for weather updates

Visit the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center website for additional tsunami information.

Hawai‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation is host the open ocean swimming race Aug. 30 at Richardson Ocean Park in Hilo. It begins at 9:30 a.m.

This 1-mile swim is designed for strong swimmers with strong swimming skills who can handle the sometimes rough course conditions, including currents and waves.

There are rocks and could be waves breaking over an outside the reef near the channel entrance. There also could be ocean swells with a strong current along the coastline.

Racers can swim with or without fins; any swimmer wanting to use a snorkel must also register in the “FINS” category. Those using fins or snorkels must indicate that on their entry form.

No flotation devices, wet suits or hand gloves/paddles are allowed.

Registration information

• Entry fee: $30 (includes entry, registration, timing service and swag for swimmers).
• Payment method: All payments must be paid in cash, money order or check ONLY (payable to Hawai‘i County Director of Finance).
• Mail entry forms and fee to: 2025 Roughwater Swim, 799 Pi‘ilani St., Hilo, HI 96720.
• Deadline: All registration forms and fees must be mailed in and postmarked no later than Aug. 13. Mail-in registration only. No registrations accepted day of the event.
• Towels: Participants will receive a race towel, while supplies last. (Towels are limited in quantity.)

Entry forms and event information are available on the Parks and Recreation website.

“FINLESS” age group categories

• 10 to 14 years old (Keiki).
• 15 to 19 years old.
• 20 to 34 years old.
• 35 to 49 years old.
• 50 to 64 years old (Masters).
• 65+ years old (Seniors).
• 80+ years old (Kūpuna).

Awards will be given for first place in the “FINLESS” categories only.

Email the Parks and Recreation Aquatics Section at aquatics@hawaiicounty.gov for additional information.

Acidification of waters around the main Hawaiian Islands is expected to follow suit; however, a new study led by University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa oceanographers reveals it will reach unprecedented levels within the next three decades.

That news comes at the same time as the National Marine Fisheries Service announced critical habitat designations for five threatened coral species living in the Pacific Ocean.

The agency’s final rule also protects 92 square miles of marine habitat around American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Pacific Remote Island Areas and Hawaiʻi.

Researchers in professor Brian Powell’s laboratory group at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology used advanced, fine-scale computer models to project how ocean chemistry around the main Hawaiian Islands might change during the 21st century.

The extent and timing of the changes varied depending on the amount of carbon added to the atmosphere.

Increased ocean acidification is harmful to marine life, leading to issues such as weakening the shells and skeletons of organisms such as corals and clams, amplifying the effects of existing stressors and threatening ocean-based ecosystems.

Corals are experiencing dramatic global declines because of climate change, ocean acidification, pollution and overfishing.

An estimated 50% of coral reefs worldwide have already been lost to climate change and about one-third of reef-building coral species are at risk of extinction.

“We found that ocean acidification is projected to increase significantly in the surface waters around the main Hawaiian Islands, even if carbon emissions flatline by mid-century in the low emission scenario,” said lead author of the new paper Lucia Hošeková in a release from the university.

The School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology research scientist added that the team found in all nearshore areas, the increases will be “unprecedented compared to what reef organisms have experienced in many thousands of years.”

In the high‐emission scenario, the team found ocean chemistry will become dramatically different from what corals experienced historically, potentially challenging their adaptability. Even in the low‐emission scenario, some changes are inevitable, but less extreme and occur more gradually.

The team also calculated the difference between projected ocean acidification levels and the acidification corals in a given location experienced in recent history.

They discovered that various areas of the Hawaiian Islands could experience acidification differently. For example, windward coastlines consistently exhibited future conditions that deviate more dramatically from what coral reefs experienced in recent history.

“We did not expect future levels of ocean acidification to be so far outside the envelope of natural variations in ocean chemistry that an ecosystem is used to,” said study co-author Tobias Friedrich in the release.

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Department of Oceanography research scientist said this is the first ocean acidification projection specifically for Hawaiian waters to document that.

Previous studies showed that a coral exposed to slightly elevated ocean acidity can acclimatize to those conditions, thereby enhancing the coral’s adaptability.

Researchers remain hopeful, as some organisms have shown signs of adapting to the changing waters.

Data and information provided by the new University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa study helps researchers, conservationists and policymakers understand the future challenges facing Hawai‘i’s coral reefs and provides information for preserving these critical ecosystems for future generations.

The team will continue to investigate the future changes in Hawaiian waters, specifically, heat stress, locations of possible areas where coral could be more sheltered from stress and changes to Hawai‘i’s fisheries.

Powell said the study’s results show potential conditions of acidification corals could experience; however, that extremity varies based on the climate scenario the world follows.

Best case scenario: corals will be impacted, but it could be manageable.

“This is why we continue new research to examine the combined effects of stresses on corals,” he said in the release. “This study is a big first step to examine the totality of changes that will impact corals and other marine organisms and how it varies around the islands.”

Some of the impact is already being felt, but Center for Biological Diversity staff attorney David Derrick was breathing a sigh of relief earlier this week after seeing the National Marine Fisheries Service finally safeguard five threatened Indo-Pacific coral species with critical habitat protections.

“These designations give struggling corals a much-needed fighting chance. Protecting corals’ homes is a crucial step toward reversing the crisis of reef die-offs,” Derrick said in a release announcing the designation. “These ecosystems support ocean biodiversity around the world, and we need to do much more to save such vulnerable species and all the ocean critters that depend on reefs.”

The Pacific coral species covered by the new designations and where they occur in the United States are:

• Acropora globiceps: Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the Pacific Remote Island Areas, and at Lalo (French Frigate Shoals) in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
• Acropora retusa: American Samoa and the Pacific Remote Island Areas.
• Acropora speciosa: American Samoa.
• Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa (formerly Euphyllia paradivisa): American Samoa.
• Isopora crateriformis: American Samoa.

The designations follow a March 2023 lawsuit filed by Center for Biological Diversity against the National Marine Fisheries Service for failing to finalize protections for 12 threatened coral species throughout the Caribbean and Pacific, including the five that received habitat designations this week.

All the species were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 2014 but did not receive the critical habitat designation the law requires.

The two wa‘a — continuing the French Polynesian leg of their 43,000-nautical mile Moananuiākea Voyage and 50th birthday celebration of Hōkūleʻa — arrived the same day into Opunohu Bay, welcomed at the Papetōʻai dock, greeted by local leaders and the warm embrace of the Moʻorea community.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia sailed July 11 to Moʻorea’s Paopao Bay, landing at the tourism office dock.

The crews were honored with a humble and heartfelt arrival ceremony, greeted at the pass entrance by youth of traditional canoe Honoura of the ʻAimeho Vaʻa Taʻie organization, symbolizing the generational continuity of voyaging knowledge.

Community representatives delivered speeches alongside the Paopao mayor. Elders also offered a traditional song accompanied by the Tahiti Choir.

Cultural exchange continued that afternoon at the Atitia Amphitheater, where community members gathered for a Talanoa forum, an open dialogue focused on culture, traditional knowledge and ocean protection.

The central theme was inspired by the heʻe, the octopus — a symbol in Polynesian navigation lore. It also centered on Moʻorea’s message to Hōkūleʻa: a call to deepen the responsibility for upholding ancestral values of care, protection and stewardship for the ocean.

Crew members of both voyaging canoes opened the wa‘a decks to Moʻorea community members July 12, offering tours and cultural workshops for keiki and families, continuing their mission to inspire the next generation of voyagers and ocean stewards.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia departed July 13 from Moʻorea, returning to Papeʻetē, Tahiti, for a brief stay before setting sail for their next port of call: Tautira — a village on Tahiti with profound historical ties to Hōkūleʻa and the voyaging family.

You can find the latest updates about the circumnavigation voyage of the Pacific Ocean Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are undertaking by following Polynesian Voyaging Society on social media @hokuleacrew on Facebook and Instagram.

The live voyaging tracking map and updates also can be found at the Polynesian Voyaging Society website.

Crews of traditional voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia resumed their journey through French Polynesia this week, beginning with a meaningful and emotional 4-day stop in Mataiea, Tahiti.

The double-hulled waʻa arrived late the morning of July 6 at Tehoro Marina — somewhat more than a week after their historic arrival June 28 in the waters off the French Polynesian capital of Papeʻetē, Tahiti — entering through the Aifa Pass to a spirited water welcome, this time including a flotilla of Holopuni canoes, personal watercraft and outrigger paddlers.

Traditional cultural protocol dockside affirmed the deep ties between the voyaging crews and people of Mataiea.

The community also welcomed a descendant of the Paoa family: Polynesian Voyaging Society Chief Executive Officer and Hōkūleʻa pwo navigator Nainoa Thompson.

Waʻa crew members and Thompson were escorted inland after the arrival ceremony to the Marae of Apu Terai, the sacred heiau of the Apu Dome Terai Sky. They were hosted by the Faʻaravaianuʻu Cultural Association, which led a powerful homecoming blessing and ceremony for Thompson.

The Apu Terai marae is the ancestral family marae of Thompson’s Paoa lineage.

“It’s a deeply moving homecoming,” Thompson said in a release about the latest leg of the historic voyage, reflecting on the moment as he stood among family and community embraced him as a returning son of the Paoa family line.

The ceremony was filled with oli, pū, speeches and tears of welcome — transforming the arrival of the two canoes into a profound reconnection with ʻohana and place.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia sailed out July 7 to Motu Ovini, where crews engaged with the SAGA Tahiti program, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to supporting vulnerable and at-risk youth throughout French Polynesia, using sailing, exploration and workshops to uplift and empower them.

Crew members shared stories from their voyage, the lessons of the waʻa and encouraged the keiki through hands-on activities.

Crew participated in a Vaʻa Symposium on July 8 in Mataiea, bringing together voyaging leaders and navigators from around the Pacific to discuss the future of voyaging, Pacificwide collaboration and the role of ancestral knowledge in addressing global challenges.

Participants included Thompson, Hoturoa Kare Barclay from Aotearoa, Tua Pittman from the Cook Islands, members of Fa‘afaite from Tahiti and geologist Éric Parat.

A major highlight of the Mataiea visit was an announcement by Mataiea Mayor Tearii Alpha that the town plans to build its own deep-sea voyaging canoe and open a voyaging school.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia departed July 10 from Mataiea, heading to the next stop on their 43,000-nautical mile circumnavigation of the Pacific Ocean: the island of Moʻorea.

Located just 10 nautical miles northwest of Tahiti, Moʻorea is a part of the Society Islands and the Moʻorea-Maiʻao commune, which includes the smaller Maiʻao Atoll, about 68 nautical miles slightly southwest of Moʻorea.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia were anchored the afternoon of July 12 in waters off the east side of Cook’s Bay in the Paopao area on Moʻorea’s north shore.

Follow Polynesian Voyaging Society’s social media @hokuleacrew on Facebook and Instagram and visit the society website to track the waʻa live and get the latest updates from the Moananuiākea Voyage.

Water sample testing results show enterococci bacteria levels no longer exceed the acceptable threshold level. Miloli‘i is about 23 miles south of 2 Step Beach on Hōnaunau Bay.

The advisories were originally issued July 3 after higher than normal levels of the bacteria were detected in waters during recent routine beach monitoring at both locations along the West Hawai‘i coast.

Original story posted at 4:37 p.m. July 3, 2025: Hawai‘i Department of Health alerts the public that high bacteria count advisories are in effect for two West Hawai‘i coast locations because of higher than normal levels of enterococci bacteria.

Levels of 254 per 100 mL of the bacteria were detected in water at Miloli‘i and levels of 137 per 100 mL were detected in water at Hōnaunau Bay-2 Step Beach — exceeding acceptable levels at both locations — during recent routine beach monitoring by the state Health Department’s Clean Water Branch, which provides regular beach monitoring and notification through its beach program.

The advisories were issued because the enterococci levels indicate potentially harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa or parasites could be present in the waters at those locations.

Swimming at beaches with polluted waters can make people sick. Keiki, kūpuna and people with weakened immune systems are the most likely to get sick or infected.

While swimming-related illnesses can be unpleasant; fortunately, they are usually not serious, requiring little or no treatment with no long-term health effects.

The most common illness associated with swimming in water polluted by fecal pathogens is gastroenteritis.

It occurs in a variety of forms that has one or more of these symptoms:

• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Stomachache.
• Diarrhea.
• Headache or fever.

Other minor illnesses associated with swimming in polluted water include ear, eye, nose and throat infections.

Swimmers can occasionally be exposed to more serious diseases in highly polluted waters.

Also, not all illnesses from a day at the beach are from swimming.

Food poisoning from improperly refrigerated picnic lunches can have some of the same symptoms as swimming-related illnesses, including stomachache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

At any given time and place, people are exposed to a variety of microorganisms that have the potential of causing illness.

The high bacteria count advisories are posted at the beaches and will remain in effect until water sample results no longer exceed the threshold level of 130 enterococci per 100 mL.

Visit the state Clean Water Branch website for additional information about each advisory.

Find more information about beach-related illnesses by visiting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.

The 27th annual ‘Ohana Shoreline Fishing Tournament is this August, inviting you to cast a few lines for a chance to win some great prizes and awards while enjoying your favorite pastime and family fun. 

Hawai‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation announced that the 2025 fishing tournament is scheduled for Aug. 15-17. 

Registration packets — including tournament rules — are available to pick up now at the following location:

• A. Arakaki Store in Kohala.
• Hawaiian Island Creations in Waimea.
• J. Hara Store in Kurtistown.
• S. Tokunaga Store in Hilo.
• Any Hawai‘i County Parks and Recreation facility islandwide.

Registration packets are also available at the Parks and Recreation Recreation Division website.

The tournament features six divisions:

• Men’s Division (18 to 54 years old).
• Women’s Division (18 to 54 years old).
• Teen Division (13 to 17 years old).
• Keiki Division (5 to 12 years old).
• Kūpuna (55-plus years old).
• ‘Ohana Division (family/team).

Participants can enter one individual division plus the ‘Ohana Division.

Entry fees are:

• Men’s and Women’s divisions: $35.
• Teen, Keiki and Kūpuna divisions: $30.
• ‘Ohana Division: $25 per team, which can consist of 1 adult and up to 3 keiki or teens.

There also is an Invasive Fish Division in which all entrants will be automatically entered, as well as an art contest.

One winning piece of artwork will be selected from each age division, with an overall winner to be chosen from all divisions.

That overall winner will be awarded a prize and their artwork will be used for the 2026 ‘Ohana Shoreline Fishing Tournament promotional flyer.

All artwork submissions should be submitted with tournament registration forms and payment.

Weigh-ins for this year’s fishing tournament will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 17 at Honoka‘a Sports Complex, located at 45-541 Lehua St., in Honoka’a.

Completed registration forms should be mailed — and postmarked — by Aug. 1 to the Recreation Division office at 799 Pi‘ilani St. in Hilo.

Late entries will not be accepted.

Make checks for registration payable to Hawai‘i County Director of Finance.

Valuable gift cards and other awards will be presented to the top 10 heaviest fish in the Men’s, Women’s, Teen, Keiki, and Kūpuna divisions. Top ‘Ohana Division teams will win a prize pack.

One participant who catches the most targeted invasive fish will be declared the winner of the invasive species category.

Call Shelton Kalilikane at 808-217-6074 for more information about the 27th annual ‘Ohana Shoreline Fishing Tournament. Contact Randell Kokubun at 808-961-8681 for questions or information about tournament registration.

You also can visit the Hawai’i County Parks and Recreation Recreation Division website for more information.

There was just one reported fatality in a recreational boating incident last year in Hawai‘i.

The 2024 fatality rate was a 2% decrease from the 4.9 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels reported in 2023 and the fewest boating fatalities reported since the U.S. Coast Guard began collecting statistics more than 50 years ago.

The nationwide fatality rate was 20.6 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vehicles in 1971 when the Safe Boating Act was passed.

A verified 3,887 incidents that involved 556 deaths, 2,170 injuries and about $88 million of property damage as a result of recreational boating incidents were reported in 2024.

Fatalities decreased 1.4% to 556 from 564 in 2023 — based on a total of 11,674,073 registered recreational vessels in 2024 vs. 11,546,512 registered in 2023 — while overall incidents increased by 1.1% from 3,844 to 3.887.

Non-fatal injuries increased 2.1% from 2,126 to 2,170.

Alcohol continued to be the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents in 2024 nationwide, accounting for 92 deaths, or 20%, of total fatalities.

“Boating under the influence is not only illegal but it is also dangerous,” said U.S. Coast Guard Inspections and Compliance Director Capt. Robert Compher said in the report announcement. “The effects of alcohol can be magnified when boating in the sun and on a moving vessel. Staying sober protects you and those around you.”

The U.S. Coast Guard reported there were a total of 11 recreational boating incidents in 2024 in Hawai‘i waters, including the 1 fatality — which happened off the east cost of O‘ahu — and 3 resulting in non-fatal injuries.

Hawai’i 5-year breakdown

Hawai‘i recreational boating fatal incident stats

• 2020: 10 total incidents, 1 fatal, 1 death.
• 2021: 15 total incidents, 5 fatal, 5 deaths.
• 2022: 11 total incidents, 4 fatal, 4 deaths.
• 2023: 14 total incidents, 3 fatal, 3 deaths.
• 2024: 11 total incidents, 1 fatal, 1 death.

Seven Hawai‘i boating incidents caused property damage in 2024, with a total of $507,500 reported last year in the islands.

Recreational boating deaths in 2024 nationwide occurred predominantly on vessels operated by people who had not received boating safety instruction, accounting for roughly 70% of fatalities. 

There was an increase in deaths on standup paddleboards. Drowning accounted for three-quarters of deaths, with 87% of victims not wearing life jackets.

Nationwide incident breakdown

Top 5 primary incident types

1. Collision with fixed object: 929 total incidents; 69 deaths; 333 injuries.
2. Collision with vessel: 747 total incidents; 43 deaths; 570 injuries.
3. Grounding: 394 total incidents; 13 deaths; 223 injures.
4. Swamping: 262 total incidents; 57 deaths; 72 injuries.
5. Person falls overboard: 239 total incidents; 138 deaths; 104 injuries.

Top 10 known primary contributing factors of incidents

1. Operator inattention: 551 total incidents; 42 deaths; 294 injuries.
2. Improper lookout: 464 total incidents; 24 deaths; 348 injuries.
3. Operator inexperience: 436 total incidents; 42 deaths; 213 injuries.
4. Machinery failure: 289 total incidents; 13 deaths; 94 injuries.
5. Navigation rules violation: 288 total incidents; 17 deaths; 163 injuries.
6. Excessive speed: 279 total incidents; 26 deaths; 245 injuries.
7. Alcohol use: 244 total incidents; 92 deaths; 192 injuries.
8. Weather: 188 total incidents; 55 deaths; 53 injuries.
9. Hazardous waters: 172 total incidents; 53 deaths; 69 injuries.
10. Force of wave/wake: 122 total incidents; 5 deaths; 80 injuries.

Open motorboats, personal watercraft and cabin motorboats were the vessel types most involved in reported incidents.

U.S. Coast Guard reminds boaters to wear serviceable, properly sized and correctly fastened life jackets, and encourages boaters to check the weather and water conditions before getting underway.

Data in the report is based on incidents that resulted in at least one of the following:

• Death.
• Disappearance.
• Injury that required medical treatment beyond first aid.
• Damage to the vessel(s) or other property equal to or greater than $2,000.
• Loss of vessel.

“We thank our federal, state and nonprofit partners who strive to make the nation’s waterways safer. We also thank recreational boaters who follow safe boating,” Compher said.

U.S. Coast Guard officials recommend all boaters attach the engine cutoff switch, get a free vessel safety check and boat sober in addition to wearing a life jacket and taking a boating safety course.

The full 2024 Recreational Boating Statistics Report is available online.

“Our marine patrol units are vital to our mission of protecting the natural and cultural resources of Hawai‘i, particularly when the state has more than 700 miles of coastline and we’re responsible for law enforcement from the high water mark of beaches to 3 miles seaward,” said Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement Chief Jason Redulla in the state’s announcement.

The marine patrol unit on Hawai‘i Island — consisting of three officers — recently got additional help to conduct a night operation just off Keauhou Bay.

More than a half-dozen commercial tour boats hauled hundreds of people out to view manta rays. Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers conducted numerous “safety boardings” in which they checked for the presence of all required safety equipment and ensured all vessels were properly licensed and permitted.

Officers unattached to the Hawai‘i Branch marine patrol unit earlier the same day sailed to Kealakekua Bay with the primary goal of watching for kayakers and other boaters interacting with spinner dolphins.

They stopped several fishing boats on the way to conduct safety checks.

While no citations were written, one operator was given a warning for having a child on board not wearing a personal flotation device as required by law.

They launched a drone at Kealakekua after seeing a school of dolphins near kayaks and commercial tour boats. Focusing on one particular kayak, it appeared they might have been chasing dolphins.

Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement Officer Amanda Llanes flew the drone over the two-person kayak, but could not tell definitively whether the couple was breaking federal laws related to spinner dolphins.

Federal laws for protected marine species have supremacy over state laws, but officers are deputized by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement — which has no officers stationed on Hawai‘i Island — to investigate and collect evidence.

“So we go out and document, provide reports and evidence and forward it to [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration],” Llanes explained in the announcement. “They decide whether or not to prosecute.”

Lt. Errol “Sparky” Kane leads the marine patrol unit on O‘ahu.

“Hawai‘i’s engine is our natural resources. It’s the ocean and the mountains and the climate that make people want to come here,” he said during a recent patrol of the island’s south shore. “In order to preserve and protect these resources, we have to have an enforcement presence that works mauka to makai.”

Much of what Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers do on a daily basis emphasizes education instead of enforcement.

Officers during the the O‘ahu marine patrol on a boat and personal water craft issued a warning to the owner of a personal water craft who pulled his craft up on a beach, where it was against the law.

A short time later they asked three surfers to leave an area where surfing is not permitted.

While land-based Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers supplement the work of the marine patrol units as needed, it’s up to the oceangoing patrols to be on the water regularly.

Kane said his team is normally patrolling at least 4 to 5 days each week.

Members of the marine patrol units are all expert watermen and waterwomen, some having been lifeguards for many years before becoming law enforcement officers.

“We try to give people a break, but we can only give so many breaks. If we told you once, you’ll probably get a citation the second time around,” Kane said in the announcement. “So we try not to be too forceful just because this is what we do in Hawai‘i, the aloha spirit.”

The double-hulled wa‘a now are anchored off Papeʻetē, Tahiti, departing Taputapuātea early because of forecasted weather.

They are expected to spend about a month in French Polynesia before continuing on the Moananuiākea Voyage, with subsequent stops this year in the Cook Islands, Sāmoa, Tonga and Aotearoa — the Māori name for New Zealand.

Located on the island of Raʻiātea, Taputapuātea is revered as the ancestral homeland and spiritual center of Polynesian voyaging.

This momentous arrival of Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia followed 21 days and about 2,500 miles of journeying on the open ocean from Hilo, relaunching the Moananuiākea Voyage’s 4-year circumnavigation of the Pacific.

The three canoes entered Taputapuātea’s sacred Teawamoʻa pass, greeted on the water by paddling canoes carrying Taputapuātea cultural leaders who raised their paddles to the sky, symbolically “putting the kapu [sacred restriction] to sleep.”

They then welcomed the voyaging canoes into the lagoon to moor.

Crew members were transported to shore where they stood in the waters to be greeted by Taputapuātea High Priest Andre Maramatoa. Following ancient protocol, the high priest acknowledged the voyagers, inviting them to declare their identity and purpose.

The ceremony included the sounding of the pū, or conch shells; drumming; and chants.

Wearing red kihei, or a ceremonial wrap, the crew joined in a sacred procession to Hauviri Marae for a brief tribute before continuing to the front of Marae Taputapuātea, where they gathered reverently at its entrance.

Crew members and delegations then walked onto the marae to present gifts.

Dignitaries including Taputapuātea Mayor Tawana Thomas Motame, French Polynesia President Moetai Brotherson, Kaviyangan Paiwan Tribe of Taiwan’s princess Zuljzulj Zingrur and Hōkūleʻa pwo navigator and Polynesian Voyaging Society Chief Executive Officer Nainoa Thompson offered remarks, which were followed by hula performed by the Kamehameha Schools delegation.

Taiwan’s Kaviyangon Paiwan people played an ancestral nose flute and burned millet during the ceremony to call upon the spirits.

The ceremonial day concluded with a traditional ʻawa ceremony and a moving performance by a local children’s group, closing with a sense of intergenerational unity and shared purpose.

“It was an honor to be on Hōkūleʻa and to let her go … to allow her to take us to our ancestral home of Taputapuātea,” Thompson said in a release about the canoes reaching French Polynesia. “Coming home is really about recognizing our ancestral family and remembering that family values are the foundation for peace. This arrival was especially meaningful after celebrating the 50th birthday of Hōkūleʻa.”

Taputapuātea is more than a sacred site, it is the piko — the center — of Pacific voyaging heritage.

In ancient times it was a place where navigators gathered to train, exchange knowledge and launch voyages that connected the far corners of the Pacific. As the ancestral homeland of many Polynesian voyagers, it served as a central hub for genealogies and spiritual protocols.

It is from this marae that ancient voyagers and navigators are thought to have departed to explore and settle the Pacific — including Hawaiʻi, Aotearoa and Rapa Nui, or Easter Island.

Taputapuātea is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and remains one of the most significant cultural and spiritual landmarks in the Pacific.

Its legacy continues to guide and inspire the next generation of voyagers, wayfinders and stewards of the ocean.

Thompson was at Taputapuātea 49 years ago, in 1976, during Hōkūleʻa’s first voyage to French Polynesia, and for him, the connection now shared transcends ceremonial protocol and has become engagement with family of Polynesia — the biggest country in the world.

“To see the elders of Taputapuātea still here today speaks to the strength of our shared commitment to each other,” he said. “Taputapuātea is more than a place, it is a sacred center, and it is now a World Heritage Site, and a reminder that we are one family, one oceanic family, connected by deep roots and an unbroken voyage.”

This is the first time Taputapuātea is the first stop for Hōkūleʻa on a voyage to French Polynesia.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia last visited the sacred site in 2022.

This year’s visit reaffirms deep ancestral connections with Taputapuātea and honors the sacred trust to carry forward traditional knowledge, values and relationships across the Pacific.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia were originally scheduled to stay in Taputapuātea until June 26, but the weather caused them to depart a day early for Papeʻetē.

They arrived June 28 at Papeʻetē to a breathtaking celebration that brought together thousands of people from throughout Tahiti, Hawaiʻi and beyond.

Still accompanied by Tahitian voyaging canoe Fa‘afaite, a fleet of smaller canoes, paddlers and jet skis, the vessels sailed into the harbor in a moment that honored half a century of Hōkūleʻa’s legacy and the ancestral relationship between Hawaiʻi and French Polynesia.

The event held even deeper meaning, as this arrival marked 49 years since Hōkūleʻa made her first historic voyage to Tahiti in June 1976, making landfall at this very same spot in Papeʻetē, which is now named Hōkūleʻa Beach.

That legendary journey ignited a cultural renaissance and proved Polynesians were skilled navigators who explored the vast Pacific Ocean using traditional wayfinding.

Yesterday, Hōkūleʻa returned to the site where her legacy began nearly five decades ago.

“Hōkūleʻa’s arrival here in Papeʻetē is a homecoming, not just for our canoe, but for the values that bind our oceanic family together,” Thompson said in a release sharing the news about the arrival at Papeʻetē. “It was here 49 years ago that Hōkūleʻa reminded us who we are. And it is here again that we celebrate the enduring spirit of voyaging, the strength of our ancestors and our founders and teachers who made this possible.”

Following all the ceremonial formalities — filled with emotion, excitement, pride and reverence — the community gathered for a vibrant concert to celebrate the historic arrival and the 50th birthday of Hōkūleʻa, honoring the canoe that, 49 years ago this month, rekindled the spirit of wayfinding and the kindred relationship between Hawaiʻi and Tahiti.

You can watch the arrival ceremony at Papeʻetē online.

Follow Polynesian Voyaging Society @hokuleacrew on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates from the voyage.

Live voyaging tracking and updates also can be found on the Polynesian Voyaging Society website.

Hawai’i Department of Health has issued a brown water advisory at Honokōhau Harbor in West Hawai‘i.

Beach and harbor users are advised to stay out of water when it appears brown or murky, especially following storms or heavy rain as it might contain higher-than-normal levels of pollutant.

If the water is brown, turn around.

State health officials recommend staying out of the water for 48 to 72 hours after rain has stopped and the area has received full sunshine.

Also avoid swimming, wading in or drinking water from any freshwater streams or ponds to prevent leptospirosis, a bacterial infection caused by the Leptospira bacteria.

Visit the state Health Department Clean Water Branch website for additional information about the brown water advisory.

National Weather Service forecasters in Honolulu issued a coastal flood statement in effect until 8 p.m. today for the island as a result.

Flooding of beaches that are normally dry, minor coastal erosion and saltwater inundation are possible.

The public is advised:

• Avoid driving through flooded roadways.
• If you are forced to drive through salt water, be sure to rinse your vehicle with fresh water.
• Move electronics, vehicles or other valuables to higher ground.
• Monitor vessels to ensure mooring lines don’t get too tight and watch out for overwash around boat ramps.
• Secure canoes and other watercraft stowed on beaches.

Anyone who gets photos of the coastal flooding is also encouraged to submit them online to the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program’s Hawai‘i and Pacific Islands King Tides Project.

Quiocho brings a wealth of management, leadership, partnership and cultural expertise to his post at The Nature Conservancy.

He spent more than 10 years working with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a program analyst, including as the agency’s first cultural resources coordinator and as a cultural advisor and Native Hawaiian program specialist.

Among his many accomplishments, Quiocho also published “Mai Ka Pō Mai” — a document for Native Hawaiian guidance of the management for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument — through collaboration with seven co-managing agencies and the Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group.

“Kalani’s expertise in working with diverse partners and his experience helping [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] to include indigenous knowledge in federal decision-making is a tremendous gift,” said The Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi and Palmyra Executive Director Ulalia Woodside said in an annoucement about Quiocho’s appointment. “We are thrilled to grow our capacity with him to partner with and uplift local communities as we collaborate to restore abundance and health to Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs and nearshore ecosystems.”

Quiocho is returning to The Nature Conservancy, where in 2016 he completed The Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi Marine Fellowship Program.

His focus as a marine fellow was on understanding key values, principles and practices needed to support succession planning for generational community-based conservation.

He was born and raised in Hilo, spending much of his childhood in Keaukaha with his extended family, and graduated from Kamehameha Schools-Kapālama on Oʻahu. 

“We are the culmination of our ancestors and their lived experiences, and now we have an important opportunity and responsibility to take care of people and the places that have continued to bring us life,” Quiocho said in the announcement. “I am proud to perpetuate this cherished tradition of aloha ʻāina with The Nature Conservancy and our partners for all of Hawaiʻi nei.”

Quiocho earned a bachelor’s degree in marine science from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Studies from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

He worked as an akule, or bigeye scad, fisherman and acquired more than 400 sea days as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fishery observer on longline swordfish and tuna fishing vessels.

Quiocho is now in a doctorate program in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa .

His research focuses on understanding factors that impede or advance the governance of protected marine areas by indigenous peoples and how indigenous peoples exercise their sovereignty and self-determination throughout local, national and international institutions for environmental governance.

The Nature Conservancy, founded in 1951 through a grassroots effort in the United States, has grown to become one of the most effective global environmental nonprofits working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

It has more than 1 million members and a diverse staff of more than 1,000 scientists, impacting conservation in 81 countries and territories directly or through partners.

Surfing pioneer Garrett McNamara described the experience of the big waves in Nazaré, Portugal, like “stepping on the moon.”

The icy water building into a wave came down like an avalanche, “gaining in speed, momentum and power,” McNamara recalled Monday.

“No one surfed it because no one thought it was possible,” McNamara said.

In the 2000s, McNamara and his team were lured to Portugal on reports that 100-foot waves were breaking on the rugged coastline. His goal was to ride the monster wave. Now 57, his journey has been featured in an HBO Emmy award-winning docuseries: “100 Foot Wave.”

To celebrate World Oceans Day, McNamara will be on Kauaʻi tonight for the screening of one of the six episodes in the third season in the series. The complete third season is now streaming on HBO Max.

Alexis Eaton, director of marketing, public relations and programming at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay where the screening is being show, said: “The global success of ‘100 Foot Wave’ as it takes viewers around the world offers a unique platform to amplify the hotel’s commitment to safeguarding the planet in all that we do.”

By prioritizing sustainability and ocean health, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay tries to inspire guests to travel consciously and adopt environmentally friendly behaviors. Said Eaton: “Travel can be a powerful motivator for change.”

McNamara is excited about the opportunity to share his journey in big wave surfing on the Garden Isle, where he lived during the winter of 1986.

“Hanalei Bay is one of my favorite waves,” he said.

McNamara has been impressed by 1 Hotel’s sustainability mission and believes every day should be World Ocean Day.

McNamara has been riding big waves long enough that he doesn’t often feel fear. He said he’s never looking to conquer or challenge a wave. Instead, he wants to complement it.

“It’s a dance with Mother Nature,” he said. “My goal is to ride the wave to the best of my ability and be at one with the wave.”

The HBO series follows McNamara as he pursues his passion. The first season of “100 Foot Wave” premiered on the streaming platform in 2021 and is a collection of archived footage from 2010 to 2019.

“The first season was the most special because we discovered this wave in Portugal in front of the world,” McNamara said.

The loud and powerful Nazaré waves come from every direction in howling winds and cold water. McNamara said there’s no real channel.

Towed out to the break on a jet ski, the big wave surfer said there are smaller waves within the large wave that “you’re flying through.”

“You’re catching air and barely holding on, hoping you can make it down the wave,” he said.

As a result of the documentary, it turned the quiet town of Nazaré into a premier surfing destination for surfers worldwide.

In November 2011, McNamara claimed a Guinness World Record for the largest wave surfed after a ride in Nazaré. It was measured at 78 feet. He said he rode a 100-foot wave in Portugal in 2013, but the height of the wave was unverified.

McNamara, who grew up on the North Shore of O‘ahu, spent his youth surfing competitively. He recalled pivotal moments in his career that led him to Portugal. The first was in 2002 when he took first place at the Jaws World Cup on Maui for tow-in surfing, a technique where a surfer is towed into a breaking wave by a Jet Ski.

He returned to the competition the following year, where he took first place for his ride in a barreling wave.

Another pivotal moment for McNamara came in 2007 when he surfed waves generated by a 300-foot calving glacier in Alaska.

“I thought I was done,” McNamara said after his Alaska wave. “Then this quest for the 100-foot wave came when we found Nazaré.”

Season two of the “100 Foot Wave” was a continuation of that journey in Nazaré, where new characters and an approach to big wave riding were part of the story.

Season 3 is life and surf beyond Portugal, with filming taking place in 2023 and 2024. McNamara thinks it’s the best season yet.

Season 3 branches out to other surf locations like Cortes Bank, Hawai‘i and Ireland.

“There’s a lot of fun, uncharted territory on the land and sea, along with new friends,” McNamara said.

Life has calmed down over the past few years after the documentary series first aired and was well-received. McNamara has retired from big wave surfing and is living between O‘ahu and Italy with his wife and their three children.

“Now, I just ride waves for the love of it,” McNamara said.

He will be at the screening to share stories with Kaua‘i surfer Sebastian “Seabass” Zietz, who will emcee the event.

“‘100 Foot Wave’ is as much about the surfers as it is about surfing,” Eaton said. “By focusing on these personal connections, the show aligns with the global call to appreciate and respect the ocean.”

Ticket sales for the June 10 screening at 6:30 p.m. at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay at Fort Alexander in Princeville will benefit the restoration of the wave sculpture at Hanalei School by the Hawaii Surf Association.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $28.52 per person and $44.52 for a family of two adults and two children under the age of 10. Admission is free for Hawai‘i Surf Association Youth Athlete members. Click here to buy a ticket.

The dangers of jumping into the water in the Spitting Caves and China Walls area on O’ahu also can apply to other similar areas around the Hawaiian islands.

On the video, Lt. Vance Lime of the state Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement, said: “Once they panic here, they’re pushed off the point and this current line here will take them all the way to Diamond Head.”

He said it requires a very strong swimmer to escape the power of the waves and even experienced people have been hurt and killed.

“A lot of accidents. A lot deaths. A lot of near deaths,” Lime said.

The safety video was recorded on a particularly high-surf day to depictshow easy it is to get swept out to sea and drown, said a news release from the state.

Last year, the Honolulu Fire Department responded to people in need of rescue at the China Walls 16 times and Spitting Caves four times. As of May 1 this year, firefighters and paramedics have responded to the China Walls six times. and Spitting Caves twice.

Last month, a 20-year-old man was rescued after jumping into about 50 feet of water. In February, a 28-year-old man drowned at Spitting Caves. News stories over the years are replete with stories of rescues, fatalities and warnings about the hazards.

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Hawai‘i Pacific and Auxiliary are kicking off National Safe Boating Week, which is May 17-23 this year, with an event at the harbor’s recreational boating launch ramp.

They will be at the harbor from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Interested in a free vessel safety check? Want to learn more of what National Safe Boating Week is all about?

Maybe you’re interested in seeing how you can practice safe boating?

No matter what brings you out, the great men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard and Auxiliary are there to help answer any of your questions or point you in the right direction to get more information — especially about boat safety.

Plus, there’s free swag!

National Safe Boating Week marks the official launch of the annual Safe Boating Campaign, a national and international initiative that promotes responsible boating behavior for all who take to the water.

The observance was created in 1958 by U.S. Congress and kicked off with a publicity bang by then-President Dwight Eisenhower’s White House during the week of the Fourth of July that year.

This is because of near normal sea temperatures along the equator coupled with typical to weaker than normal wind shear across the basin.

“So the outlook, specifically, is for 1 to 4 tropical cyclones, and that includes tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes,” said Chris Brenchley, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

A near normal season typically has 4 or 5 tropical cyclones.

While speaking Thursday morning during a news conference at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Brenchley was adamant the seasonal outlook does not predict whether any of those cyclones will directly impact Hawaiʻi.

A further breakdown of the seasonal forecast for the 2025 hurricane season — which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30 in the Central Pacific — shows:

• A 30% chance of below normal tropical cyclone activity.
• A 50% chance of a near normal hurricane season.
• A 20% chance of above normal activity in the basin.

Brenchley explained the annual outlook is developed and coordinated by experts at NOAA’s National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center.

The center’s meteorologists analyze long-term global weather and water circulation patterns to make their outlook forecasts. The improving and increasingly accurate long-range models show where water will be warmer and upper air currents might favor hurricane development.

With El Niño conditions across the tropical Pacific stuck in neutral, meaning ocean temperatures are forecast to be near normal through summer, the warm waters that tropical cyclones need to form and feed on will exist, but nothing out of the ordinary.

That will keep waters to the east of Hawai‘i cooler, as usual, cutting off any additional energy source for storms that move close.

Typical wind shear patterns — a change in wind speed or direction because of plenty of prevailing northeast trade winds at the surface and southwest winds aloft — also will help eat away at any tropical cyclones that get close enough to threaten the islands, destroying them from above.

However, with a chance of weaker than normal wind shear forecast in the outlook, that could be an issue if a tropical system moves into the area at the right time.

“So there’s a balancing act,” Brenchley said about the circumstances that can lead to a tropical cyclone impacting the state.

Of some 72 tropical cyclones — including hurricanes and tropical storms — that have impacted the islands since the mid-20th century, Hawai‘i’s record is about only 12 of them making landfall.

The number does seem somewhat manini compared to the sheer volume of tropical cyclones that bombard the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast each year, but it is still nearly 20% in the landfall column — or almost a 1 in 5 chance.

So despite the 11,000-square-mile Aloha State’s “small target in a big ocean” defense along with several atmospheric conditions and topographic features that can make it more difficult, it’s still a very real possibility each year a tropical cyclone can strike the islands head-on.

Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green proclaimed May 18-24 as Hurricane Preparedness Week in Hawai‘i, asking the residents of the state to be aware, educated and ready to take action to safeguard their ‘ohana, homes and businesses before hurricane season starts.

“Hawaiʻi and it’s kamaʻāina must always be vigilant to these weather events … and ready to take action when storms develop in the Pacific Ocean,” said Don ʻAweau, executive officer of the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency, as he he presented the governor’s proclamation during Thursday’s news conference. “It only takes one storm to change your life, your family, your ‘ohana and your community.”

Not all tropical cyclones become hurricanes, but they all have the potential.

Brenchley reiterated that even during seasons when the outlook calls for below normal tropical cyclone activity, storms that do develop can impact the islands.

Last year is one example, with just 2 tropical cyclones moving through the Central Pacific; however, one of them was Hurricane Hone, which made its closest approach to the state as a Category 1 storm just more than 50 miles south-southeast of Ka Lae, the southermost tip of the Big Island.

Hawaiʻi County took the brunt of Hone’s wrath from Aug. 24 to 26 as it skirted to the south of the island, causing several millions of dollars in damages from flooding, high winds and power outages.

Then there have been other hurricane seasons, such as 2015, when the Central Pacific was littered with tropical cyclones and none impacted the Aloha State.

Brenchley said anytime there is a tropical cyclone in the Central Pacific, the staff at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center and National Weather Service in Honolulu will be watching closely.

Now, he added, is the time to prepare.

“All of us as residents play a role, as well as businesses, in preparing for whatever the hurricane season may bring us this year,” Brenchley said. “Know where you can get the latest official information and have a plan.”

Watchstanders on O‘ahu received a phone call at 6:50 a.m. May 6 from the captain of the 78-foot fishing vessel Sea Angel, which was about 675 miles northeast of Hilo at the time.

The 68-year-old had reportedly been suffering from severe symptoms such as abdominal pain and fever already for 10 days.

Watchstanders established a regular communication schedule with the vessel’s crew after conferring with the duty flight surgeon and directed them to transit toward Hawai‘i Island.

U.S. Coast Guard 14th District and U.S. Coast Guard Base Honolulu personnel procured antibiotics, which an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers successfully dropped at 1:07 p.m. May 7 to the Sea Angel.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Barbers Point arrived on scene with the Sea Angel at 10:27 a.m. May 9, hoisted the patient and transported him to Hilo Benioff Medical Center.

He was reported to be in stable condition.

An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew also provided communication and translation support during the hoist.

“Communication and coordination are essential when it comes to search and rescue, especially complex, offshore cases,” said Cmdr. Andrew Williams, Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu search and rescue mission coordinator. “It was through the training and readiness of each crew, the ability of our personnel to translate Vietnamese and the long-range capabilities of our aircraft that we were able to successfully deliver the patient to the care he needed.”

Follow the U.S. Coast Guard in Hawai‘i on Facebook, X and Instagram for additional information about the agency, its missions, activities and more.

Officers from the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement Hawai‘i Branch Marine Unit on Thursday seized a fishing vessel and cited a Big Island man for illegal longline fishing after receiving multiple complaints.

Cited for violating state code relating to longline fishing pohibition, which is a petty misdemeanor, was 52-year-old Konane Zager of Kona.

Zager had caught three ahi. One live fish was released, and the other two weighed in at 95 pounds and 103 pounds, with an estimated market value of $1,251.

Zager is scheduled to appear June 19 in Kona District Court.

Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers on the morning of May 7 boarded the fishing vessel Wai‘aka in state waters about 7 miles offshore of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island after observing it fishing with about 4 miles of line deployed.

It is illegal to longline fish in state waters within the Hawai‘i State Territorial Sea, which comprises 3,069 square miles of water extending 12 nautical miles from shore around the state.

The U.S. Coast Guard at 3:30 p.m. April 15 suspended its search for missing 42-year-old Kona fisherman Earl “Oa” Hind, who seemingly disappeared with his vessel more than a week ago off the south coast of Hawai‘i Island.

Hind was last seen early the afternoon of April 9 in the vicinity of Kaulana boat ramp in the Miloliʻi area, heading north in his 21-foot Force boat — with a 2-foot extension, white hull, light blue cabin and twin outboard motors — named “Makalapua Onalani.”

“We are deeply saddened to announce that despite widespread efforts, our search for Mr. Hind is now suspended,” said search and rescue mission coordinator Lt. Cmdr. Raphael Sadowitz with U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. “We appreciate the tireless work of our partners and the local community and extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Hind’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

Hind is reported to have launched April 7 for a fishing trip from a spot in the South Point area.

His and his vessel’s whereabouts remain unknown; however, his truck and boat trailer were found parked near the South Point boat ramp area.

U.S. Coast Guard and partner agency crews had searched 200,048 square nautical miles for more than 242 combined hours by the time the agency suspended its search efforts Tuesday afternoon.

The search began the afternoon of April 10.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu watchstanders received a report at 2:17 p.m. from Hawai‘i Fire Department personnel about Hind’s disappearance.

Watchstanders directed the launch of a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules airplane crew and MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew while also diverting the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak to aid in search efforts.

Agencies and assets involved in the search since it began:

• U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu.
• Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu.
• U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point.
• U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak.
• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 140-03-13.
• Hawai‘i state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
• Hawai‘i Fire Department.
• Hawai‘i Police Department.
• U.S. Naval 3rd Fleet Commander, Task Force 32, Poseidon 8.

Hind’s family and friends remain hopeful that he will still be found.

Read more about their continued hope and search efforts in an upcoming story the morning of Wednesday, April 16, on Big Island Now.

Surf along north- and east-facing shores of most Hawaiian islands — including the Big Island — will become dangerous during the swell’s peak tonight and Sunday after a much larger pulse of the north swell rapidly builds this afternoon.

In anticipation of those surf conditions, the National Weather Service forecast office in Honolulu issued a high surf warning in effect until 6 p.m. April 6 for north and east shorelines.

Strong, breaking waves of 20 to 26 feet are expected by this afternoon along north-facing shores, with breakers of 10 to 15 feet forecast along eastern shorelines.

Powerful currents will accompany warning-level surf, and large breaking waves in channel entrances could make navigation hazardous.

Forecasters advise the public to stay away from shorelines along the affected coasts, be prepared for road closures and postpone entering or leaving channels in the affected areas until the high surf subsides.

Heavy harbor surges also are expected along north-facing harbors such as Hilo Harbor, and a small craft advisory is in place for waters exposed to the north swell.

Hawai‘i County Civil Defense said Friday afternoon that impacted shorelines will include those in North Kohala, Hāmākua, North and South Hilo and Puna.

“Large breaking surf, significant shore break and dangerous currents can cause injury or death,” Civil Defense said in its message.

Emergency management officials advised the public to heed all instructions given by ocean safety officials and to make sure their property along shorelines in the advisory areas is prepared to weather the high surf.

A storm far to the north of the state had an area of high winds pointed mostly south and pushed the large long-period swell toward the islands, according to Harry Durgin, a citizen meteorologist and administrator of the Puna Weather group on Facebook, in a post early Friday morning.

“This swell will be long-lived, beginning late Saturday and holding on through Monday,” wrote Durgin, adding it will not directly hit windward shores, but is centered from a direction best for impacts at places such as Waipiʻo Valley, Richardson Ocean Park in Hilo and Hawaiian Beaches in Puna.

He said surf at those locations and others along the same shorelines could reach 20 feet at times, and with high tide at about noon Sunday, some areas coould see runup over roadways.

Visit the Hawai‘i County Hazard Impact Map for more information about road closures or other hazard information.

Check the National Weather Service statewide surf forecast for the latest surf height forecasts, and visit the Honolulu forecast office website for updated ocean information and weather alerts.

The risk is even greater during “pupping season.”

“Monk seals give birth year-round, but March through August is when we see the majority of these adorable … pups make their debut,” said Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources Administrator Brian Neilson.

Three pups have already been born this year, adding to the 34 born in 2024.

Monk seal mothers nurse and care for their pups for 5 to 7 weeks after giving birth, before abruptly leaving their pups to fend for themselves and learn to forage on their own.

So it’s vital that pups get the nourishment they need to survive during that short initial time span with Mom before being weaned.

Nursing moms also can be very protective and aggressive toward anyone who gets too close during those first couple of months after giving birth, dramatically increasing the chances of someone getting hurt — especially when seals are born at highly visible, high-traffic, popular beaches.

It is important, too, that pups are not conditioned to human interaction, which can alter a young monk seal’s natural behavior and result in harmful outcomes for the pup and local community.

The state Land Department’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, Division of Forestry and Wildlife and Division of Aquatic Resources along with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hawai‘i Marine Mammal Response and various city and county agencies work together to protect seals and bring attention to potential problem locations where seal-human encounters can happen.

They offer the following best practices to help protect the endangered monk seal pups:

• Safely observe a mother and her pup behind all temporary fences and signs placed around them.
• Keep at least 150 feet away from monk seal mothers and pups at all times, especially when they are in the water.
• Keep dogs leashed any time you’re at the beach. You never know where a seal could be.
• Report all seal sightings to the statewide National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Wildlife Hotline at 888-256-9840.

Hawaiian monk seals are native to Hawaiʻi and protected by state and federal laws.

In an effort to minimize potential disturbances, specific locations of Hawaiian monk seal births are not publicized unless there’s a need to bring attention to a potential problem location where seal-human encounters are more likely.

“We appreciate everyone’s understanding and support during these crucial nursing periods,” Neilson said. “Let’s admire from afar to keep everyone safe.”

Update at 12:40 p.m. March 28: State health officials on Friday — 16 days after issuing the advisory because of heavy rainfall along the windward slopes of the Big Island — canceled a brown water advisory that was in place for Hilo Bay and along Hāmākua Coast to the northern-most point of the island.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health Clean Water Branch put the advisory in place the afternoon of March 11 and advised beachgoers and ocean enthusiasts to stay out of the waters — which at the time likely appeared brown or murky — in those areas because of a threat of higher than normal pollutants being washed into them from storm runoff.

Original post at 2:48 p.m. March 11: A brown water advisory is in effect for Hilo Bay and along the Hāmākua Coast to the northern-most point of the Big Island because of runoff associated with recent heavy rains along the island’s windward slopes.

Hawai‘i Department of Health officials advise beachgoers and ocean enthusiasts to stay out of waters that appear brown or murky in the advisory areas.

The water could contain higher than normal pollutant levels.

State Health Department recommendations also include staying out of the water for 48 to 72 hours after stormy weather or heavy rainfall ends and returning only once a beach has received full sunshine.

Members of the public also should not swim, wade in or drink water from any freshwater streams or ponds to prevent leptospirosis, which is a bacterial infection caused by the Leptospira bacteria.

Click here for additional information about leptospirosis.

It’s always good policy to remember: If the water is brown, turn around.

“I have never seen anything like this until tonight,” wrote the person who posted the image, who adds that they walk daily in “Hau Bush,” or ʻOheʻula Beach Park, where they discovered the dead and shell-less green sea turtle in ‘Ewa Beach on Oʻahu.

The 42-year resident of the Honolulu suburb added: “Seeing this tonight broke my heart and made me very upset.”

Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement Chief Jason Redulla said the most egregious violations his department becomes aware about through social media channels rarely have the necessary information to open an investigation.

“So we can’t even know where to begin looking,” said Redulla in information provide about the incident. “Without the perpetrator coming forward and self-reporting, or without a specific location, date and time, our hands are unfortunately tied.”

That’s the problem for federal and state law enforcement authorities with the green sea turtle disocery in ‘Ewa Beach.

No one reported the incident directly, making it difficult to investigate, find possible suspects, build a case or pursue prosecution.

The state did receive a tip via its mobile app after the Facebook post was made about the dead green sea turtle, but it was just a copy of the original post.

The person who discovered, photographed and posted about the dead, shell-less turtle in ‘Ewa Beach is urged to follow-up with state Land Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration law enforcement to provide additional information.

State conservation law enforcement authorities and officials remind the public that it’s important to report suspected violations against marine life, especially for the most endangered and threatened, which includes the green sea turtle.

The turtle is protected and listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

“Witness information and photographs can help us investigate a case and potentially bring charges,” Redulla said.

While the turtle’s death is truly unfortunate, it provides an opportune moment for the state and its federal partners to remind the public that if they see an incident they should report it right away.

Those who report suspected violations are asked to provide the who, what, when and where of the incident or situation they witnessed that are needed by law enforcement to investigate.

Violations can be reported anonymously.

There are two easy ways to report incidents:

• DLNRTip mobile app allows people who see incidents to report them when they see them.
• State Land Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hotlines also are available so people can use their phones — landlines and cellphones — to report possible violations against marine species.

All oceangoers should download the free mobile reporting app and add each agency’s reporting hotline numbers to their contacts so they can quickly report suspected violations.

Here’s more information:

• Download the mobile DLNRTip app, available from the Apple Store and Google Play.
• Call the 24-hour Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources hotline at 808-643-DLNR (3567).
• Call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hotline at 1-844-FWS-TIPS (397-8477) or visit the agency’s website.
• Call the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Wildlife Hotline at 888-256-9840.

“We know it’s frustrating when people only report violations via social media and nothing happens,” said Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources Administrator Brian Neilson. “Unfortunately, in most cases there’s not enough information to conduct thorough investigations.”

The aquatic resources division urges witnesses of violations to report them when they see them.

“We really need everyone’s kōkua to find people who are committing crimes against our protected marine species,” Neilson said.

That discovery, published recently in a study by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, also highlights that as sea level rises, the infrastructure, businesses and communities in these low-lying areas are at risk of flooding sooner than scientists anticipated — particularly in certain urban areas of Oʻahu.

“Our findings highlight that subsidence is a major, yet often overlooked, factor in assessments of future flood exposure,” said Kyle Murray, lead author of the study and researcher with the Climate Resilience Collaborative at the UH-Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. “In rapidly subsiding areas, sea level rise impacts will be felt much sooner than previously estimated, which means that we must prepare for flooding on a shorter timeline.”

Subsidence is the gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land. As the islands move farther from the hot spot beneath Hawaiʻi Island, they very slowly sink because of their weight.

This islandwide subsidence rate is low on Oʻahu, about 0.6 millimeters — or about the thickness of 10 sheets of printer paper — each year.

However, researchers found localized areas on the south shore of Oʻahu, where land is sinking nearly 40 times faster, exceed 25 millimeters per year.

The rate and localized nature of the sinking surprised the research team.

“Much of the urban development and infrastructure, including parts of the industrial Mapunapuna area, is built on sediments and artificial fill,” Murray said. “We think the majority of subsidence is related to the compaction of these materials over time.”

He and and his study co-authors analyzed nearly 2 decades of satellite radar data to measure vertical land motion throughout the Hawaiian Islands. They also developed a high-resolution digital elevation model to accurately map coastal topography.

By combining these datasets, they modeled how sea level rise and ongoing subsidence will exacerbate future flooding.

Phil Thompson, one of the study’s co-authors and director of the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Level Center in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, said the rate of land subsidence is faster than the long-term rate of sea level rise in Hawaiʻi, which has been 1.54 millimeters per year since 1905.

“In places like the Mapunapuna industrial region, subsidence could increase flood exposure area by over 50% by 2050, while compressing flood preparedness timelines by up to 50 years,” said Thompson.

The shoreline plays a vital role in sustaining Hawaiʻi’s coastal communities, economy and infrastructure.

Researchers found sinking rates of certain coastal regions remained consistent during the past 2 decades, suggesting subsidence will persistently exacerbate flooding for parts of the island.

If subsidence is not accounted for, urban planning and coastal adaptation strategies could underestimate the urgency of mitigation efforts.

Chip Fletcher, another of the study’s co-authors, director of the Climate Resilience Collaborative and interim dean of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, said the work researchers are doing directly serves the people of Hawaiʻi because it ensures local adaptation strategies are based on the best available science.

That ultimately helps protect homes, businesses and cultural areas.

“Our research provides critical data that can inform state and county decision-making, helping to improve flood exposure assessments, infrastructure resilience and long-term urban planning,” said Fletcher.