Can you still take a self-guided kayak trip to Captain Cook's on BI?
Jun 21st, 2006, 06:22 AM
#1
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Can you still take a self-guided kayak trip to Captain Cook's on BI?
I'm pulling this question out of another recent thread -- someone had asked about kayak rentals, and one of the posters replied that you can no longer bring your own kayak to Kealakekua Bay -- you can only kayak to Captain Cook's with a guided tour. Is this true? It sounds counterintuitive (since the rest of Hawaii is so unrestricted) but I have a self-guided kayak trip to Captain Cook's on my itinerary and want to know if it's going to be impossible/illegal. Thanks!
Jun 21st, 2006, 06:54 AM
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I would check on www.konaweb.com They have very up to date information about the Big Island.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Jun 21st, 2006, 07:00 AM
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Thanks kureiff! I didn't see anything on that site about restrictions. I've also been looking around and found this from the Hawaii.gov page:
http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/mlcd/kealakekua.htm
...which makes it sound like it's ok as long as you don't fish or drop anchor on the coral. Maybe the tip about self-guided tours being kapu came from a tour provider
Who knows?
http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/mlcd/kealakekua.htm
...which makes it sound like it's ok as long as you don't fish or drop anchor on the coral. Maybe the tip about self-guided tours being kapu came from a tour provider
Who knows?
Jul 4th, 2006, 11:21 AM
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We just got back from our trip to the Big Island, and this was also something I had heard. When we were there (last week), you could still do your own kayak trip on the Bay, which we did. I asked about the new rules and everyone shrugged and said, it had been under discussion for a couple years and would eventually happen, but...I think that it is just going to take awhile for them to enforce the new rules...There is a larger discussion about this on the tripadvisor web-site and some people who feel strongly that the dolphins are being disturbed by all the kayakers. When I was there, the kayakers all kept a respectful distance from the dolphins (that are wonderful to watch spinning through the air), but there was a large motor boat following them around that I found objectionable and would think is far more disturbing to the natural habitat.
A second comment on this trip is that while many people do their own trip and I read many times about how "easy" it is. I don't think I would characterize it quite that way. We are not kayakers however, very much novices so perhaps that makes a difference. At any rate, the sea was very "surgey" (according to the locals at the bay) the day we were there, and I saw two people flip their kayaks trying to get out near Captain Cook. They when we came back the ocean was really rolling...without the help of the locals standing by onshore to assist it would have been challenging to get our kayak to the ramp and out. I was happy to pay my tip for their help! So, just fyi, the actually trip to the monument area is a relatively short kayak, but the getting in and out is a little tricky.
A second comment on this trip is that while many people do their own trip and I read many times about how "easy" it is. I don't think I would characterize it quite that way. We are not kayakers however, very much novices so perhaps that makes a difference. At any rate, the sea was very "surgey" (according to the locals at the bay) the day we were there, and I saw two people flip their kayaks trying to get out near Captain Cook. They when we came back the ocean was really rolling...without the help of the locals standing by onshore to assist it would have been challenging to get our kayak to the ramp and out. I was happy to pay my tip for their help! So, just fyi, the actually trip to the monument area is a relatively short kayak, but the getting in and out is a little tricky.
Jul 5th, 2006, 05:03 PM
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The reason there is so much confusion is the DLNR has not enforced it yet, but will. However it is Hawaii, so when remains to be seen. The Legislature did not oppose the granting of exclusive tour licenses to 4 tour operators in West Hawaii to have access to Kealakekua Bay. Once this is official DLNR policy, there will be no self guided tours of the Bay allowed, via kayak or personal watercraft. To see Kealakekua, strongly recommend using a licensed boat tour operator. The damage has been done, the recent DLNP/University of Hawaii study found that most of the spinner dolphins that had been using the bay for resting have moved to other bays or have died off because of the human interaction at the bay. As a previous poster mentioned, someone with a kayak was attempting to land at Captain Cook (I assume the monument) which is illegal. The land the monument sits on is actually property of Great Britain. No matter how careful some visitors are, there are others who are not experienced enough to kayak the bay. This isn’t a bay that is gently sloping with easy put ins and outs. This means folks step on coral even when they don’t mean to. Kealakekua Bay is magnificent, and the best snorkeling in all of Hawaii, but if there are not some changes, it will become worse than Hanauma Bay on Oahu. Fortunately the City and State has been aggressively enforcing limits there, and hopefully will soon do so at Kealakekua Bay also. Please be sure you take all necessary precautions if you do enter the water here.
BTW – konaweb used to have a post on it, but they pulled it. That is a commercial site and will pull down anything that supports competition to their advertisers.
Good luck and happy travels!
BTW – konaweb used to have a post on it, but they pulled it. That is a commercial site and will pull down anything that supports competition to their advertisers.
Good luck and happy travels!
Jul 6th, 2006, 07:56 AM
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Patinegypt and echolynch -- both very interesting posts. I was picturing a typical bay kayaking trip -- is it "surge-y" like ocean waters? In most pictures I've seen, it looks more like a slightly choppy bay. Will we be fighting waves or just putting a little extra effort into steering? How long does the trip take, round-trip? We've been ocean kayaking before, but only in NJ where waves rarely go above a foot or two.
Also, thanks for the tip on NOT disembarking at Captain Cook's. I hadn't realized that we couldn't walk on shore there. It doesn't bother me, I still want to do a "kayak-by," but it's definitely good to know!
Also, thanks for the tip on NOT disembarking at Captain Cook's. I hadn't realized that we couldn't walk on shore there. It doesn't bother me, I still want to do a "kayak-by," but it's definitely good to know!
Jul 6th, 2006, 09:33 AM
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Karameli,
Yes, it can get choppy and if the tide is coming in or out, a little tricky. There is a boat ramp, but usually it is 2 – 3 feet to the water from the ramp, so some skill (and luck) is involved. Do not recommend anyone who hasn’t kayaked in the open ocean to use this as there first experience.
The distance it is about 2.25 miles RT from the ramp to the monument.
Depending on time of year – winter it will be a bit rougher than summer – but no matter what, there will be waves and paddling and steering is usually tougher than expected. (I had to rescue a tourist who capsized her kayak and nearly drowned, and incidentally tried to use the coral reef to push up to the surface once she fell out of her kayak. Luckily, I was a practicing paramedic at the time and was snorkeling not far from her, so I had my flippers on. She was exhausted and had NEVER kayaked in the ocean before, only in rivers).
Personally I would not recommend kayaking the Bay, instead take a boat tour and snorkel it – it is amazing snorkeling. If you MUST kayak, follow the briefing carefully, go in pairs and rent only from a reputable company.
Good luck and happy travels!
Yes, it can get choppy and if the tide is coming in or out, a little tricky. There is a boat ramp, but usually it is 2 – 3 feet to the water from the ramp, so some skill (and luck) is involved. Do not recommend anyone who hasn’t kayaked in the open ocean to use this as there first experience.
The distance it is about 2.25 miles RT from the ramp to the monument.
Depending on time of year – winter it will be a bit rougher than summer – but no matter what, there will be waves and paddling and steering is usually tougher than expected. (I had to rescue a tourist who capsized her kayak and nearly drowned, and incidentally tried to use the coral reef to push up to the surface once she fell out of her kayak. Luckily, I was a practicing paramedic at the time and was snorkeling not far from her, so I had my flippers on. She was exhausted and had NEVER kayaked in the ocean before, only in rivers).
Personally I would not recommend kayaking the Bay, instead take a boat tour and snorkel it – it is amazing snorkeling. If you MUST kayak, follow the briefing carefully, go in pairs and rent only from a reputable company.
Good luck and happy travels!
Jul 6th, 2006, 01:33 PM
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Echolynch,
The kayakaing itself doesn't sound too bad to me...I'm not a whitewater rower, but ocean kayaking doesn't tire me out. I'm guessing the bay won't be much choppier than the Atlantic. My husband and I are strong swimmers. The only tough part sounds like the climb back onto the boat ramp. We'll wear water shoes and play it by ear! Thanks again for the helpful advice.
The kayakaing itself doesn't sound too bad to me...I'm not a whitewater rower, but ocean kayaking doesn't tire me out. I'm guessing the bay won't be much choppier than the Atlantic. My husband and I are strong swimmers. The only tough part sounds like the climb back onto the boat ramp. We'll wear water shoes and play it by ear! Thanks again for the helpful advice.
Jul 6th, 2006, 02:29 PM
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Sounds like you will be fine, and you may go on an extremely calm day and wonder what the heck we were talking about! Our return trip was definitely on a surging ocean and incoming tide. And, if we had missed the small ramp where you disembark it's just a few feet straight ahead to a sea wall. Happily there were experienced locals there to assist and we were out in seconds. I imagine they are there on most days, and there is a lot of tourist comraderie on the other side to help each other out. Beautiful spot...so go one way or another! Enjoy
