Hawaiian islands channels
From Free net encyclopedia
In an archipelago like the Hawaiian Islands the water between islands is typically called a channel or passage. Described here are the channels between the islands of [[Hawaii|HawaiTemplate:Okinai]], arranged from south to north.
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Template:OkinaAlenuihāhā Channel
The Template:OkinaAlenuihāhā separates the island of [[Hawaii (island)|HawaiTemplate:Okinai]] and the island of Maui. The maximum depth of this channel is 6100 feet (1900 m).
Template:OkinaAlalākeiki Channel
Kealaikahiki Channel
Ke ala i kahiki channel is the channel between [[Lanai|LānaTemplate:Okinai]] and [[Kahoolawe|KahoTemplate:Okinaolawe]]. It literally means "the road to Tahiti"; if one takes a bearing off of Kealaikahiki point while in the channel and heads directly straight, one arrives in Tahiti. In practice, however, Polynesian navigators probably did not quite ply a straight route to Tahiti.
Template:OkinaAuTemplate:Okinaau Channel
The Template:OkinaAuTemplate:Okinaau Channel is one of the most protected areas of ocean in the Hawaiian Islands, lying between [[Lanai|LānaTemplate:Okinai]] and Maui. The channel is also protected by [[Molokai|MolokaTemplate:Okinai]] to the north, and KahoTemplate:Okinaolawe to the south. The depth of the channel reaches 108 feet (33 m). The middle of the channel off Maui was known as Lāhainā Roads in the days of whaling ships. Lahaina Roads had also been an alternate anchorage to the main U.S. Pacific Fleet base at Pearl Harbor. In the planning for the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese had hoped that the Pacific Fleet still utilized Lahaina as an anchorage as ships sunk in the deep water there would have been unrecoverable. Fortunately, Laihina was not utilized, and the bulk of the fleet remained moored in Pearl Harbor. Because the water there is relatively shallow (hence the wooden-fin modifications added to Japanese torpedos) all ships sunk, save USS ARIZONA (BB-39) and USS OKLAHOMA (BB-37), were raised, repaired, and were returned to active duty.
Template:OkinaAuTemplate:Okinaau channel is a whale-watching center in the Hawaiian Islands. Humpback whales migrate approximately 3,500 miles (5600 km) from Alaskan waters each autumn and spend the northern hemisphere winter months in the protected waters of the channel.
Pailolo Channel
Kalohi Channel
The Kalohi Channel is the stretch of water separating [[Lanai|LānaTemplate:Okinai]] and [[Molokai|MolokaTemplate:Okinai]]. Depth of water in this channel is about 260 feet (79 m). This is one of the less treacherous channels between islands in the archipelago, although strong winds and choppy sea conditions are frequent. Kalolohia beach on the LānaTemplate:Okinai coast is also known as "Shipwreck Beach" because of a wreck on the reef there.
Kaiwi Channel
The Kaiwi Channel separates the islands of [[Oahu|OTemplate:Okinaahu]] and MolokaTemplate:Okinai. Maximum depth is 2300 feet (701 m). There is an annual paddleboarding contest which traverses this channel.