Molokini
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Molokini is a crescent-shaped volcanic crater which forms a small islet located in Alalakeiki Channel between the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe, part of Maui County in Hawaii. It has a diameter of about 0.4 miles (0.6 km), and is located about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) offshore west of Makena State Park and south of Ma‘alaea Bay. It is a popular destination for scuba diving, snuba and snorkeling with many tourist boats coming each day from the south coast of Maui. While it is a popular tourist destination due to its offshore, exotic location, many watersport enthusiast guides note that overcrowding has made the experience less attractive. The islet is a Hawaii State Seabird Sanctuary.
Because this very popular dive spot was attracting large numbers of boats, each potentially damaging the surrounding reef by dropping anchor, the Hawaii State Division of Boating and Recreation established mooring buoys and "Day Use Mooring Rules" for Molokini.
The United States Census Bureau defines Molokini as Block 9000, Block Group 9, Census Tract 303.02 of Maui County, Hawaii. The uninhabited island (as of the 2000 census) has a land area of 0.093 km² (0.036 sq mi or 23.02 acres). [1]
[edit] History
In Hawaiian legend, Molokini was a beautiful woman. She and Pele, the fire goddess, were in love with the same man. The jealous Pele cut her rival in two and transformed her into stone. The woman's head is supposedly Puu Olai, the cinder cone by Makena Beach.
During World War II, the United States Navy used Molokini for target practice because of its similarity in shape to a battleship.
[edit] References
- ^ Block 9000, Block Group 9, Census Tract 303.02, Maui County United States Census Bureau
[edit] External links
- HAR 13-125 (PDF) Rules Regulating Wildlife Sanctuaries, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
- HAR 13-257 (PDF) Day Use Mooring Rules for Molokini, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
- [1] Maui Guidebook information for travelers.
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Coordinates: 20°38′07″N 156°29′56″W / 20.63528°N 156.49889°W
