The Absolute Dumbest Things Tourists Have Done in Hawaii

While many travelers these days have never had the experience of pulling out a folded map or (gasp) printing out directions from MapQuest for their drive, it’s clear that today’s traveler has become overly dependent on Google Maps and the like. In 2023 alone there have been not one, but two incidents wherein GPS sent a driver directly into the water at Honokohau Small Boat Harbor on Hawai‘i Island. The worst part was that during one incident, the driver just sat there, confused, while the car became submerged and onlookers jumped in to rescue her and the passenger.

If Hawai‘i had a dollar for every time a visitor violated one of the wildlife protection laws (keep a distance of 10 feet for turtles, 50 feet for monk seals, and 50 yards for dolphins and small whales), it could quickly solve its homeless crisis. It’s such a regular occurrence that people invade the space of animals in the wild so they can snap a crappy photo that it’s almost unremarkable. That said, there have been a few over-the-top offenders, like the two men who picked up a sea turtle for a photo and blatantly bragged about not caring about a fine in 2017. In 2021 another visitor also picked up a turtle, pleading ignorance of the law when cited for his actions. Also in 2021, a Louisiana woman went viral after making the incredibly foolish decision to approach and touch a resting monk seal on Kauai; at the same time a man was caught touching another monk seal on another island. Both received $500 fines and the ire of many Hawai‘i residents for their thoughtless actions.

During the 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa, a very special and fairly rare event (the last eruption of the volcano was in 1984), Hawai‘i County officials opened viewing areas for residents and visitors to watch the eruption from a safe distance. Naturally, some people couldn’t follow the rules and took it upon themselves to get closer to the action to take selfies and roast marshmallows and hot dogs over the lava. While this may seem harmless, it was potentially dangerous to the offenders, involved trespassing across land leased by the military, and, most importantly, was immensely disrespectful to Hawaiian culture, as volcanoes are represented by the goddess Pele. Three visitors from Kazakhstan were cited for entering a closed area.

While Hawai‘i has some of the most incredible hikes in the world, not every trail, waterfall, or scenic spot is open to the public. And those that are should be accessed only by people who can physically manage those hikes. All too often the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has to remove people from areas where they shouldn’t be (like watersheds that serve large communities) and caretakers of certain hikes end up serving as first responders to help people return from strenuous hikes after warnings weren’t heeded. Hikers also often get lost on a trail or deliberately go off trail and depend on first responders to rescue them.

While hiking trails throughout the islands are subject to trouble, there’s one in particular that is a magnet for dummies. It’s no wonder why Oahu’s Haiku Stairs a.k.a. Stairway to Heaven is so attractive–the panoramic views of the island are amazing, and it’s one of those climbs that people take on as a personal challenge. However, it has been illegal to climb the stairs since 1987 and the city of Honolulu recently secured a vendor to remove the stairs completely. But that didn’t stop a group of friends from ascending the treacherous path. The group waited until after security guards left (after being turned away) and carried pieces of a trampoline to the top of the stairs, assembled it on a precarious ledge, and took video of themselves auditioning for the Darwin Awards.

Yet another incident of a visitor assuming that warning signs didn’t apply to them–in 2022 a man slipped over the fence at Akaka Falls to get a better view (which makes zero sense because the fence is very close to the edge of the viewing area). He subsequently slipped and nearly slid down a 400-foot cliff. Once again, local residents stepped in to make the rescue, preventing yet another tourist tragedy in the islands.

The Road to Hana is one of the top activities on an itinerary for Maui, and with the throngs of people who drive it on a daily basis, there’s a lot of misbehaving going on. Visitors are regularly seen stopping in the middle of the road for photos, jamming up bridges and crossings to illegally swim in waterfalls, parking illegally, trespassing on private property, and a lot more. The problems on the highway have become so compounded and frustrating for the residents of these small communities that tourism officials have begun requesting that visitors stop driving themselves and instead rely on local tour companies to do the driving for them.

And while tourists (both American and international) manage to be the main perpetrators of bad behavior, residents aren’t always out there making the best choices. Most of these residents are new to the islands and aren’t doing a good job of representing the resident population. Like the woman who decided that ‘Iolani Palace in Honolulu was the perfect place to urinate in front of and not only take a photo, but post a selfie. There’s also the Maui resident who was fined earlier this year for harassing dolphins and even humpback whales (law requires a distance of 100 yards to remain between humans and humpbacks) simply because “it’s magical and others do much worse things” the culprit told DLNR when approached.