Ka'ula

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Ka'ula
Aerial view of Kaʻula
Aerial view of Kaʻula
Waters Pacific Ocean
Archipelago Hawaii
Geographical location 21 ° 39 ′ 28 "  N , 160 ° 32 ′ 30"  W Coordinates: 21 ° 39 ′ 28 "  N , 160 ° 32 ′ 30"  W
Kaʻula (Hawaii)
Ka'ula
length 1.3 km
width 500 m
surface 64 ha
Highest elevation Manohua
167  m
Residents uninhabited
Map 1: 25000
Map 1: 25000

Ka'ula is a small, uninhabited island in the archipelago of Hawaii . It is said to be named after a sea bird, but it is unknown which one. It is located 34 km southwest of Ni'ihau and thus represents the most westerly of the actual Hawaiian Islands (also known as the Leeward Islands ). Northwest of it joins the island chain of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands .

The crescent-shaped island represents the crater wall of a former shield volcano that rises steeply from the Pacific . It rises up to 167 meters above sea level and covers an area of ​​0.64 km². Since the volcano is probably extinct, Ka'ula does not continue to grow, but is already shrinking due to erosion processes .

Ka'ula is uninhabited today, but is occasionally visited by fishermen. Like many other small islands in Hawaii, Kaʻula is a State Seabird Sanctuary .

Flora and fauna

A masked booby on Ka'ula

On the dry surface of the island there are only about 15 different plant species, the most common are Sida fallax ( Hawaiian : ʻIlima ) and the hairy purslane ( Portulaca villosa , Hawaiian: Ihi ).

Ka'ula is a popular breeding area for various seabirds . 18 different species breed on the island with over 92,000 specimens. The noddi ( Anous stolidus ) as well as the fairy tern ( Gygis alba ) and the sooty tern ( Onychoprion fuscatus ) are particularly common.

History and culture

The island was already known to the ancient Hawaiian cultures and is mentioned in songs and stories. The remains of two stone structures, probably Heiaus (old Hawaiian temples), were also found on it. A heiau with the name Pōhakupio (trapped stone) is said to have been on the west side. According to legend, the shark god Kūhaimoana , a brother of the volcano goddess Pele , lived on the island.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Kaʻula in Hawaiian Dictionaries
  2. ↑ United States Census Bureau, Kaula Island: Census Tract 411, Kauai County, Hawaii (English)