Wai’anae, Oahu, Hawaii (Offshore Waters)

Hawaiian pelagic birdwatching remains under-developed, with abundant possibilities.  Offshore from Wai’anae, the distance to the deep ocean is just one to two miles, readily accessible to visitors.  The limited available information suggests that at least fifteen species of tubenoses occur regularly: including five Pterodroma petrels (Black-winged, Cook’s, Mottled, Juan Fernández, and Hawaiian), as well as Bulwer’s Petrel, and five shearwaters (Wedge-tailed, Sooty, Short-tailed, Christmas, and Newell’s).

Orientation

Directions

Wai’anae is on the western shore of Oahu, about an hour’s drive (35 miles) west of Honolulu, or 45 minutes (29 miles), from Hawaii’s largest airport, Daniel K. Inouye International.

To reach Wai’anae Small Boat Harbor from the airport, take the main freeway, H1, north (away from Honolulu) and remain on it as it winds west around Pearl Harbor.  Shortly after passing Kapolei, the H1 freeway narrows and joins Highway 93, then bends north along the western coast of Oahu.

About ten miles farther on Highway 93, just past the center of Wai’anae (village), turn left at Wai’anae District Park, which includes the harbor.

Attractions

The trail up Mount Ka’ala, the highest point on Oahu, begins about four miles east of Wai’anae, at the end of Wai’anae Valley Road.

The southern trail to Ka’ena Point begins at Yokohama Bay, just beyond Keawaula Beach, about eight miles north of Wai’anae, at the end of the Farrington Highway.

Birdfinding

Along the western coast of Oahu, the seabed slopes down below typical continental shelf depths (<100 m) about one-and-a-half to two miles from shore.  Pelagic birdwatching is therefore possible in almost any seaworthy craft—even a hand-paddled kayak, for those with sufficient training and ability.

Both diversity and numbers presumably peak during the transitional seasons when many populations migrate between the hemispheres, roughly March-April and September-October.  Many of the locally breeding seabirds also arrive around March and depart around October.

Hawaiian Petrels that breed on Kauai likely visit Oahu’s western waters.  © Ken Chamberlain

The following species are annual, or at least fairly regular, in the waters offshore from Wai’anae:

Yellow-billed Tropicbird: uncommon year-round

Red-tailed Tropicbird: uncommon March-September

Laysan Albatross: uncommon year-round

Black-footed Albatross: uncommon December-May

“Hawaiian Storm-Petrel”: rare April-November

Leach’s Storm-Petrel: uncommon March-April

Black-winged Petrel: uncommon March-November

Cook’s Petrel: rare June-November

Mottled Petrel: uncommon March-April and October

Juan Fernández Petrel: rare April-October

Hawaiian Petrel: uncommon April-November

Black-winged Petrel visits Hawaiian waters year-round, but is most common in September and October.  © Hiroyuki & Shoko Tanoi

Mottled Petrel passes through Hawaiian waters northbound in March and April and southbound from late September to November.  © Hiroyuki & Shoko Tanoi

Bulwer’s Petrel: fairly common April-October

Wedge-tailed Shearwater: very common March-November

Sooty Shearwater: fairly common March-April and September-October

Short-tailed Shearwater: rare September-December

Christmas Shearwater: rare March-October

Newell’s Shearwater: rare April-October

Great Frigatebird: fairly common March-September

Red-footed Booby: fairly common year-round

“Forster’s Booby”: fairly common year-round

Masked Booby: uncommon March-October

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater is the commonest tubenose in Oahu’s waters.  © Chris Wiley

The Hawaiian endemic Newell’s Shearwater is a rare visitor to Oahu’s western waters from April to October.  © Jacob Drucker

Red Phalarope: rare December-April

Long-tailed Jaeger: rare April-May

Parasitic Jaeger: rare April-May

Pomarine Jaeger: rare October-April

Common Fairy-Tern: fairly common year-round

Sooty Tern: common March-November

Gray-backed Tern: rare March-October

Brown Noddy: fairly common March-November

“Hawaiian Noddy”: uncommon year-round

One tour operator based in Wai’anae specializes in nature-oriented offshore excursions: Wild Side Specialty Tours (reservations@sailhawaii.com; 1-808-306-7273).  They offer three-hour trips up to twice daily, with morning departures at either 7:00 or 8:00 and midday departures at either 11:15 or 12:15.  Their standard rates are about $200 per person or $1200 to reserve the whole boat as a private charter.  Board at Wai’anae Small Boat Harbor, 85371 Farrington Highway.

Another option is to take an organized snorkeling trip.  These tend to remain near the shore where the reefs are.  A local snorkeling tour operator in western Oahu is Ko Olina Ocean Adventures, (reservations@koolinaoceanadventures.com; 1-808-396-2068).  Board at Malakole Harbor, 92-100 Waipahe Place, Kapolei.

Bulwer’s Petrel is fairly common in Oahu’s western waters during the breeding season from April to October.  © Miguel Rouco

The other standard alternative is to go on a fishing charter.  These trips are generally likely to go to productive offshore waters, and thus may create opportunities to see pelagic birds, but they are hit-or-miss.  Most fishing charter captains have game-plans that combine a few proven approaches for certain fishes in that area at that time of year, and they know where the fish have been biting recently.  With fuel and time being precious, it is difficult to persuade a fishing charter captain to deviate from the game-plan.

Services

Accommodations

There are two large resort hotels at Ko Olina, about eight miles south of Wai’anae.  They are about equally expensive:

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, 1-866-443-4763

Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, 1-808-679-0079

Food

For trips out of Wai’anae Small Boat Harbor, Spinners Café (1-808- 696-3474) is conveniently adjacent.

Notes

When to Visit

Maximum diversity on pelagic trips in Hawaiian waters is generally expected in March, April, September, and October.

Hazards & Hassles

As with any other offshore boatride, visitors should prepare for a wide range of conditions by bringing: multiple layers of clothing (including an outer layer suitable for rain or seaspray), soft-soled shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, and their favored seasickness prophylaxis.

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