Kahe Point Beach Park is a beautiful beach popular among snorkelers and scuba divers. It is located on the west side of Oahu, just north of the Ko Olina Resorts and offers clear blue open water teeming with marine life.
Kahe Point is nicknamed, Electric Beach because of the electric power plant located across the road. It is this power plant that makes the area a spectacular snorkeling and diving destination.
The plant uses seawater as a coolant, and then returns clean warm water to the sea via two giant cooling pipes offshore. The warm water that flows out of the pipes attracts scores of sea life. The pipe openings look like a huge bubbling spring off shore.
The beach is very shallow near shore, getting progressively deeper as you head out, making it ideal for intermediate to advanced level snorkeler. Caution is advised when venturing into the water as there are no lifeguards on duty in this beach.
Diving down in front of the openings to the pipes is discouraged as the flowing water is more than strong enough send you doing underwater cartwheels.
The bevy of marine creatures that can be seen at Kahe Point Beach Park includes colorful butterfly fish, parrot fish, damsel fish, surgeon fish, tang, wrasse, squirrel fish, trigger fish, and the former Hawaii State Fish, Humuhumunukunukuapuaa. There are also lots of crustaceans and invertebrates.
Hawaiian green sea turtles are also common sight at Kahe Point. They are usually seen around the coral heads that form along the length of the pipes. Hawaiian spinner dolphins are also sighted in this beach. They feed at night then rest and take care of their young in the calm inshore waters during daylight.
Beach facilities include a large park pavilion, picnic tables, BBQ pits, shower and restrooms. There are no shops around so remember bring food and refreshments.
Photo courtesy of jackandjilladventureshawaii.com
