Kaʻula, Remote volcanic island in Kauai County, United States.
Kaʻula is a crescent-shaped volcanic island in Kauai County rising to 167 meters above sea level. Steep cliffs define its shoreline, and a notable cave called Kahalauaola sits on the northwest face.
The United States Lighthouse Service built and operated an automatic gas light near the summit between 1932 and 1947. This navigation aid served ships traveling through the Hawaiian waters.
Native Hawaiians came to harvest seabirds and their feathers, which held great value for making cloaks and ornaments. The island remains a place of spiritual and practical importance in Hawaiian cultural memory.
The island remains off-limits to the general public due to Navy restrictions that have been in place since 1981. You can observe it from a distance during boat tours in the surrounding waters, but landing is not permitted.
The island hosts some 100,000 seabirds from 18 different species, including sooty terns, brown noddies, and wedge-tailed shearwaters. This concentration of birds makes it a crucial breeding and nesting habitat in the Pacific.
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