Queen's Bath

The Queen's Bath is a unique ocean pool on the island of Kauaʻi, Hawaii. The ocean pool is formed by lava rock and next to multiple lagoons.^[1] It is located on the north shore of Kauaʻi in the town of Princeville, at 22°13′44.9″N 159°29′15.0″W / 22.229139°N 159.487500°W / 22.229139; -159.487500.^[2] Small fish and tiny sea life live inside the bath while green sea turtles are a common sight in the surrounding waters. ^{[clarification needed][3]} The site is considered to be dangerous and associated with a number of drownings.^[4][5]

Waterfall in Queen's Bath, Kauaʻi, Hawaii

Safety concerns and recreational use

 

Sign warning visitors about drownings

The site is accessible via a trail. According to Honolulu Civil Beat, the Princeville at Hanalei Community Association has gone to significant lengths to discourage and prevent visitors from visiting the site, including fencing and warnings, due to the danger from people being swept away by waves, and there have been "countless rescues" of visitors to the site.^[4] As of May 2024, at least 10 people had died in connection with the site.^[5] The death toll sign at the bottom of the trail, indicating 28 drownings, was created by concerned citizens and is not an official county sign reflecting the actual number of drownings.

History

Queen's Bath used to be called Keanalele and known for a mound with the most concentrated complex petroglyphs in Hawai'i.^[6][7]

The original "Queen's Bath" was located in Kalapana on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.^[8] It was formed after a lava tube collapsed and filled with fresh water supplied by natural springs. In ancient times only the Aliʻi (Royalty) were permitted entry to the sacred waters.^{[citation needed]} In 1983 Kilauea erupted and in 1987 the original site was destroyed by lava flow.^{[9][clarification needed][original research?]}

Only after the original site on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi was destroyed did the location on Kauai become better known as "Queen's Bath". The bath was used for what it sounds like; it was a royal bathing place. It was also used as a place of relaxation when an Aliʻi needed to "wash off the stress".

Sport

Local islanders came up with a sport called "Rushfall" at the Queen's Bath, which was officially released to the public in 2010. In this sport, cliff jumps are timed with waves.

References

1. Sandra Friend (2002). Sinkholes. Pineapple Press Inc. ISBN 978-1-56164-258-8.
2. Lloyd J. Soehren. "Queens Bath". Lloyd J. Soehren's Catalog of Hawaiʻi Place Names. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
3. John Derrick; Natasha Derrick (2006). Kauai - Mile by Mile Guide: The Best of the Garden Isle. Hawaiian Style Organization. pp. 132–133. ISBN 978-0-9773880-4-2.
4. Parachini, Allan (2019-01-07). "Kauai: Tourists Keep Coming To Queen's Bath Despite The Deadly Danger". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
5. "Queen's Bath, Kauai". HawaiiGaga.com. 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
6. Cox J. Halley, with Edward Stasack. 1970. Hawaiian Petroglyphs. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication 60. Honolulu.
7. "Pu'u-loa" Place names of Hawai'i. Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel H. Elbert and Ester T. Mookini. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu. 1974.
8. Pukui, Elbert, Mookini (1966). Place Names of Hawaii (Report). Vol. 207. United States Geological Survey. 10992.
9. Global Volcanism Program (March 1987). McClelland, L. (ed.). "Report on Kilauea (United States)". Scientific Event Alert Network Bulletin. 12 (3). Smithsonian Institution: 3. doi:10.5479/si.gvp.sean198703-332010.