The name for the southern tip of the island of Hawaiʻi comes from Ka Lae in the Hawaiian language which means "the point".[3] It is often spelled as one word, Kalae, or called South Point or South Cape.[4] A confluence of ocean currents just offshore makes this spot one of Hawaii's most popular fishing spots. Both red snapper and ulua are plentiful here. Locals fish from the cliffs, some dangling perilously over the edge of steep lava ledges. Swimming here, however, is not recommended, due to the current. In fact, it is called the "Halaea Current", named after a chief who was carried off to his death.[5]
The confluence of currents also means the area is prone to accumulation of marine debris. Most of this coastline is very remote and difficult to access, and is probably the most debris-littered coast in the state, primarily due to its difficult access for debris removal. This debris poses an entanglement threat to wildlife and may refloat during storms. The shoreline is used by Hawaiian monk seals and hatchling hawksbill turtles, both endangered species. Efforts to clean the coastline are organized by the Hawaii Wildlife Fund in conjunction with the NOAA.[6]
Ka Lae is accessible via South Point Road, a 12-mile paved narrow road leading from State Route 11 (Hawaii Belt Road), the turn off being about 7 miles (11 km) west of the village of Nāʻālehu and east of Ocean View, Hawaii. The strong winds cause some trees to become almost horizontal with their branches all growing in the same direction near the ground. The road forks near its end, with one branch leading south to Ka Lae and the other east to Papakolea Beach, known for its green sand.
Ka Lae is the site of one of the earliest Hawaiian settlements, and it has one of the longest archaeological records on the islands.[2] It is generally thought that this is where the Polynesians first landed because the Big Island is the closest of the Hawaiian Islands to Tahiti, and Ka Lae would be the point of first landfall.[7] Ruins of an ancient Hawaiian temple (heiau) and a fishing shrine can be found here. In addition, ancient Hawaiians drilled numerous holes in the rock ledges to use for mooring their canoes. Tying long ropes to their boats, they would drift out to sea to fish without fear of being carried away by the strong currents.[8] Anthropologists from the Bishop Museum excavated the area in the 1960s.[9][10][11]
Ka Lae Light
On March 5, 1906, a small lighthouse opened at the point. In 1908 about 10 acres (4.0 ha) were set aside for the United States Coast Guard to build a house for a keeper. At the request of William Tufts Brigham of the Bishop Museum, care was taken not to destroy the archaeological site. In 1929 a steel tower was built for the light, and in 1972 a new 32 foot (10m) concrete tower with solar power was built.[12][13]
A NOAA Weather Radio transmitter broadcasts weather reports from KBA99 with callsign WWG27 on 162.55 MHz.[14] A weather station also monitors wind speed.[15]
Recent history
Old Kamaoa wind farm at South PointSouth Point navigational markerSouth Point Satellite Station
During World War II, the US Air Force built a landing strip called Morse Field on the point. The airfield was closed in 1953.[16] In 1961 South Point was on the list of final sites to be considered by NASA to launch crewed rockets to space, but was considered too remote[17] although it was later used to launch sounding rockets for testing of instruments at the Air Force's Maui Space Surveillance Center.[18] The low latitude of the location also made it (and nearby areas that are as remote) attractive as a site for private rocket launches, but these plans were dropped in the face of high costs and local opposition.[19]
Ka Lae Point is the southernmost point of all fifty states in the United States, but technically it is not the southernmost point in the United States. The southernmost point of all U.S. territory is Rose Atoll, American Samoa. However, Palmyra Atoll contains the southernmost point of all 'incorporated' U.S. territory, according to the doctrine of "incorporation" defined in the Supreme Court's Insular Cases. Palmyra's south point on Holei Island at 5°52'15" N latitude is officially the southernmost point of all incorporated territory of the United States of America.[26]
^Bendure, Glenda; Friary, Ned (September 1997). "Hawaii — The Big Island". Hawaii (4th ed.). Australia: Lonely Planet. pp. 327–28. ISBN0-86442-489-2.
^Kelly, M. (Marion) (1969). "Historical background of the South Point area, Ka'u, Hawaii". Pacific anthropological records. Honolulu, HI: Dept. of Anthropology, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (6). ISSN 0078-740X. LCCN 77029164. OCLC 659366796.
^Underwood, Jane H. (1969). "Human skeletal remains from Sand Dune site (H1), South Point (Ka Lae), Hawaii: a preliminary examination". Pacific anthropological records. Honolulu, HI: Dept. of Anthropology, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (9). ISSN 0078-740X. OCLC 659366796.
^"Minor light of Hawai'i - Ka Lae, HI". Lighthouse Friends web site. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
^"South Point, Hawaii ARC Wind Sensor". National Weather Service. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
^Pauk Freeman (January 1, 2010). "Morse Field, South Point, HI". Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Hawaii, Hawaii island. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
^Cliff Lethbridge (2000). . History of Cape Canaveral. Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
^"South Cape (Morse Field) Airport". Hawaii Aviation Archive. State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Airports Division. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
^Jonathan Eberhart (March 26, 1988). "Hawaii: A Stepping Stone to Space?". Science news.
^. SSC Group. September 19, 2007. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
^. State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism web site. April 15, 2002. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
^"Pakini Nui Find Farm". Tawhiri Power LLC web site. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
^"GAO/OGC-98-5 – U.S. Insular Areas: Application of the U.S. Constitution". U.S. Government Printing Office. November 7, 1997. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Point Complex.
"South Point Hawaii". community web site. 2004. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
Pictures of Ka Lae
. [American Wind Energy Association web site]. Washington, DC, USA: American Wind Energy Association. December 31, 2009. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
August 24, 2023
hawaiian, point, also, known, south, point, southernmost, point, island, hawaii, united, states, area, registered, national, historic, landmark, district, under, name, south, point, complex, area, also, known, strong, ocean, currents, winds, home, wind, farm, . Ka Lae Hawaiian the point also known as South Point is the southernmost point of the Big Island of Hawaii and of the 50 United States The Ka Lae area is registered as a National Historic Landmark District under the name South Point Complex The area is also known for its strong ocean currents and winds and is the home of a wind farm South Point ComplexU S National Register of Historic PlacesU S National Historic Landmark DistrictRocky cliffs of Ka LaeLocationBig Island of HawaiiNearest cityNa alehuCoordinates18 54 40 N 155 40 52 W 18 9111 N 155 681111 W 18 9111 155 681111Area710 acres 290 ha NRHP reference No 66000291 1 Significant datesAdded to NRHPOctober 15 1966 1 Designated NHLDDecember 29 1962 2 Ka Lae Point with people getting ready to jump the cliffWind blown tree Contents 1 Geography 2 History 2 1 South Point archaeological site 2 2 Ka Lae Light 2 3 Recent history 3 Southernmost point 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksGeography EditThe name for the southern tip of the island of Hawaiʻi comes from Ka Lae in the Hawaiian language which means the point 3 It is often spelled as one word Kalae or called South Point or South Cape 4 A confluence of ocean currents just offshore makes this spot one of Hawaii s most popular fishing spots Both red snapper and ulua are plentiful here Locals fish from the cliffs some dangling perilously over the edge of steep lava ledges Swimming here however is not recommended due to the current In fact it is called the Halaea Current named after a chief who was carried off to his death 5 The confluence of currents also means the area is prone to accumulation of marine debris Most of this coastline is very remote and difficult to access and is probably the most debris littered coast in the state primarily due to its difficult access for debris removal This debris poses an entanglement threat to wildlife and may refloat during storms The shoreline is used by Hawaiian monk seals and hatchling hawksbill turtles both endangered species Efforts to clean the coastline are organized by the Hawaii Wildlife Fund in conjunction with the NOAA 6 Ka Lae is accessible via South Point Road a 12 mile paved narrow road leading from State Route 11 Hawaii Belt Road the turn off being about 7 miles 11 km west of the village of Naʻalehu and east of Ocean View Hawaii The strong winds cause some trees to become almost horizontal with their branches all growing in the same direction near the ground The road forks near its end with one branch leading south to Ka Lae and the other east to Papakolea Beach known for its green sand Ka Lae is the southernmost point in the 50 United States History EditSouth Point archaeological site Edit Ka Lae is the site of one of the earliest Hawaiian settlements and it has one of the longest archaeological records on the islands 2 It is generally thought that this is where the Polynesians first landed because the Big Island is the closest of the Hawaiian Islands to Tahiti and Ka Lae would be the point of first landfall 7 Ruins of an ancient Hawaiian temple heiau and a fishing shrine can be found here In addition ancient Hawaiians drilled numerous holes in the rock ledges to use for mooring their canoes Tying long ropes to their boats they would drift out to sea to fish without fear of being carried away by the strong currents 8 Anthropologists from the Bishop Museum excavated the area in the 1960s 9 10 11 Ka Lae Light Edit On March 5 1906 a small lighthouse opened at the point In 1908 about 10 acres 4 0 ha were set aside for the United States Coast Guard to build a house for a keeper At the request of William Tufts Brigham of the Bishop Museum care was taken not to destroy the archaeological site In 1929 a steel tower was built for the light and in 1972 a new 32 foot 10m concrete tower with solar power was built 12 13 A NOAA Weather Radio transmitter broadcasts weather reports from KBA99 with callsign WWG27 on 162 55 MHz 14 A weather station also monitors wind speed 15 Recent history Edit Old Kamaoa wind farm at South Point South Point navigational marker South Point Satellite StationDuring World War II the US Air Force built a landing strip called Morse Field on the point The airfield was closed in 1953 16 In 1961 South Point was on the list of final sites to be considered by NASA to launch crewed rockets to space but was considered too remote 17 although it was later used to launch sounding rockets for testing of instruments at the Air Force s Maui Space Surveillance Center 18 The low latitude of the location also made it and nearby areas that are as remote attractive as a site for private rocket launches but these plans were dropped in the face of high costs and local opposition 19 A space tracking station was operated from 1964 to 1965 and in the 21st century the Swedish Space Corporation s Universal Space Network again established a remote ground station for space tracking and communications now consisting of two 13 meter parabolic antennas on the east side of South Point Road 20 Also at Ka Lae are the large shortwave radio antennas of World Harvest Radio International which used callsign KWHR until 2009 21 In 1987 the Kamaoa Wind Farm began operation with thirty seven Mitsubishi 250 kW wind turbines with an operationally typical total peak output of 7 5 MW 22 By 2006 the turbines at 18 59 33 N 155 40 5 W 18 99250 N 155 66806 W 18 99250 155 66806 Kamaoa Wind Farm were falling into disrepair and they were finally shut down on August 15 2006 At the end of August 2006 components for a new set of wind turbines were transported to South Point The Pakini Nui project consists of 14 General Electric wind turbines constructed at 18 58 20 N 155 41 21 W 18 97222 N 155 68917 W 18 97222 155 68917 Pakini Nui Wind Farm about 1 5 miles 2 4 km from the old Kamaoa wind farm Completed in April 2007 Pakini Nui supplies up to 20 5 MW of power to the island electricity grid of Hawaii Electric Light Company 23 The wind farm is operated by Tawhiri Power LLC 24 It is the southernmost wind farm in the United States 25 The turbines of the old wind farm have been disassembled Southernmost point EditKa Lae Point is the southernmost point of all fifty states in the United States but technically it is not the southernmost point in the United States The southernmost point of all U S territory is Rose Atoll American Samoa However Palmyra Atoll contains the southernmost point of all incorporated U S territory according to the doctrine of incorporation defined in the Supreme Court s Insular Cases Palmyra s south point on Holei Island at 5 52 15 N latitude is officially the southernmost point of all incorporated territory of the United States of America 26 See also Edit Hawaii portal Weather portal Renewable energy portal Great Pacific Garbage PatchReferences Edit a b National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 a b South Point Complex National Historic Landmark summary listing National Park Service Archived from the original on May 11 2011 Retrieved July 4 2008 Mary Kawena Pukui Samuel Hoyt Elbert and Esther T Mookini 2004 lookup of Ka Lae in Place Names of Hawai i Ulukau the Hawaiian Electronic Library University of Hawaii Press Retrieved September 20 2010 U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Kalae Kaʻu Coffee Times Marine Debris Removal from the Waiohinu Ka Lae Coast Hawaii Island Marine Debris Program NOAA September 18 2006 Ka Lae Ka u Kailua Kona Kailua Kona Travel Guide Virtual Tourist October 5 2002 Bendure Glenda Friary Ned September 1997 Hawaii The Big Island Hawaii 4th ed Australia Lonely Planet pp 327 28 ISBN 0 86442 489 2 Kelly M Marion 1969 Historical background of the South Point area Ka u Hawaii Pacific anthropological records Honolulu HI Dept of Anthropology Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 6 ISSN 0078 740X LCCN 77029164 OCLC 659366796 Emory Kenneth P Sinoto Yosihiko H 1969 Age of the sites in the South Point area Ka u Hawaii Pacific anthropological records Honolulu HI Dept of Anthropology Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 8 ISSN 0078 740X LCCN 71029054 OCLC 659366796 Underwood Jane H 1969 Human skeletal remains from Sand Dune site H1 South Point Ka Lae Hawaii a preliminary examination Pacific anthropological records Honolulu HI Dept of Anthropology Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 9 ISSN 0078 740X OCLC 659366796 Minor light of Hawai i Ka Lae HI Lighthouse Friends web site Retrieved April 15 2010 Love Dean 1991 The lighthouses of Hawai i University of Hawaii Press ISBN 978 0 8248 1319 2 NOAA Weather Radio WWG27 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved April 15 2010 South Point Hawaii ARC Wind Sensor National Weather Service Retrieved April 15 2010 Pauk Freeman January 1 2010 Morse Field South Point HI Abandoned amp Little Known Airfields Hawaii Hawaii island Retrieved April 15 2010 Cliff Lethbridge 2000 Space Program Has A Space Problem And A New Spaceport Is Born History of Cape Canaveral Archived from the original on August 29 2012 Retrieved April 15 2010 South Cape Morse Field Airport Hawaii Aviation Archive State of Hawaii Department of Transportation Airports Division Retrieved April 15 2010 Jonathan Eberhart March 26 1988 Hawaii A Stepping Stone to Space Science news Universal Space Network Expands Satellite Ground Stations SSC Group September 19 2007 Archived from the original on January 1 2014 Retrieved March 29 2014 Station Record KWHR Federal Communications Commission Retrieved April 15 2010 History of Wind Energy Projects in Hawaii State of Hawaii Department of Business Economic Development amp Tourism web site April 15 2002 Archived from the original on July 24 2008 Retrieved April 15 2010 Associated Press July 20 2007 Big Isle wind farm boosts grid Honolulu Star Bulletin Retrieved April 15 2010 Tawhiri Power LLC Pakini Nui Find Farm Tawhiri Power LLC web site Retrieved April 15 2010 GAO OGC 98 5 U S Insular Areas Application of the U S Constitution U S Government Printing Office November 7 1997 Retrieved March 18 2018 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Point Complex South Point Hawaii community web site 2004 Retrieved April 15 2010 Pictures of Ka Lae U S Wind Energy Projects Hawaii American Wind Energy Association web site Washington DC USA American Wind Energy Association December 31 2009 Archived from the original on September 18 2010 Retrieved April 15 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ka Lae amp oldid 1169231193, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
