On Tue, 3 Jun 2003 06:57:30 EDT
Doggre@xxxxxxx wrote:
> Hanauma Bay is REAL shallow over the reef. I dove in about 4 a.m.
> one morning at low water, 3 sheets (at least) to the wind, so to
> speak. Got skinned up ALL over EVERY anterior portion of my
> anatomy. Hundreds of tiny coral cuts.
>
> When I first went there in '68, girlfriend and I had the entire
> park & bay all to ourselves midweek. Paradise. Sadly, those days
> are long gone. The coral is now suffering & dying from overuse by
> hundreds of snorklers every day. I was kinda heartsick the last
> time I stopped in and looked down. Too many tourists.
>
> Rich
>
My observation too. Hanauma Bay is the ideal tourist-spot (sans the
coral cuts) and has therefore turned into a tourist trap/hell with
the following deverstation to the nature and wildlife. Things
improve if getting a little outside of the bay, though (on the
outside of the reef/barrier), where there actually are live and
healthy corals.
Actually, much as I liked my stay on Oahu, the entire island seemed
to be symptomatic of what Hanauma Bay suffers: being redesigned as a
tourist trap. Many of the wonderfull beaches are ruined by tall
modern hotels etc.
Case in point: I brought two cameras...yeah, OM's...(and bought the
Fuji disposable underwater), and I came away from Hawaii after 2
weeks with only 4-5 films taken. Way below my usual average :(
On my next trip to the state of Hawaii, I will definitely try to hit
another island -- preferably one less overcrowded. I hear that Maui
is a good choise?
--
------------------------------------------------
Thomas Heide Clausen
Civilingeniør i Datateknik (cand.polyt)
M.Sc in Computer Engineering
E-Mail: T.Clausen@xxxxxxxxxxxx
WWW: http://byzantium.inria.fr:8080/~voop
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