The Kapoho Tidepools: Found and then Lost
Embracing both Fire and Water on the Big Island
When my best friend said she was going to move to Hawaii, I was devastated. Six-thousand miles across a continent and an ocean was so far away. But I realized at some point that there was a slight upside to it. I would get to visit as often as I could afford a plane ticket.
She ended up on the Big Island–Hawai’i in a small village called Honomu, about a half-hour drive from Hilo. Hilo is on the rainy side of the island, closer to the rainforests. As a teacher, I get my summers off so I made arrangements with my best friend, Julie, to spend the month of July with her and her partner. I will never forget that trip.
The Big Island is –as its name suggests, the largest island in the archipelago. It is also very diverse. There are rainforests, mountains, and desert areas with lava rock as far as you can see.
Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, there are many places to dive and snorkel. There are also many places you can dive in and die. There were actually signs that said so.
The rainforests are abundant with waterfalls and I was excited to get to swim next to a few. After all, I had ventured under one in Kauai and plenty at home. However, these were huge. The one closest to Julie was Akaka Falls and the closest I got to swim in it was ziplining several hundred feet above it. If you ever get up to Honomu, I highly recommend Skyline Zipline.
I spent most of my time at Richardson’s Beach in Hilo. There are many places to get in a swim, but you have to be careful. Some of them are for locals only. Richardson’s has black sand and a calm bay to swim and snorkel in. But the drop-off is quick. I learned to dive in this area and I remember thinking how quickly and easily you get swept out to deeper water.
But the most amazing sea turtles will float along with you, mesmerizing you with their smooth and calm energy. One afternoon, we were lucky enough to have a sea lion come to take a nap with us.
On the other side of the island is Kona. It’s the more popular area with tourists. When you fly into Kona, it looks like you are flying into Mars. The volcanic rock is everywhere.
The beaches are calmer and flatter so that you can take your surfboard out for a bit. This water was nice, but it wasn’t my favorite.
My favorite place to swim on the island no longer exists. The tide pools of Kapoho were in the middle of a little village called Pahoa.
You would drive for what seemed like forever in Puna and park in a neighborhood that bordered the pools. We would walk over hardened lava and through the trees until we came out at what looked like a beautiful bay. It was extraordinary.
The tide pools were big and deep enough to dive into. You could swim in one, hop out and get into another.
There were underwater holes and caves that connected them. It was easy to get lost, trying to see everything and explore. You eventually could swim out to the ocean. The water was clear enough to see all the way to the bottom–close to 30 feet down in some areas.
There were always sea turtles, fish, and rays. It was also such a tranquil part of the island. I could spend hours exploring their depths. I only got down there twice during my stay and now I wish I had spent more time there.
Hawai’i is as much fire as it is water. In 2018, Kilauea erupted and buried the area under about 60 feet of lava. I am so fortunate to say that I was able to see such an amazing natural wonder and swim in the tide pools at Kapoho.
To see what the bay looked like before and after the volcano, check out this youtube video.
