The Real Gold Coast

For starters, there is the downed World War II airplane off the coast of Portlock. The Corsair fighter plane wrecked in 1945 during training exercises and is now a mile off the coast and about 100 feet deep. The plane is lodged in sand and attended by an eerie group of garden eels sprouting from the sea floor. The cockpit is said to be the lair of a sizable morey eel. If eels are not enough to excite you, you can visit the nearby caves of sleeping white tip sharks. You can also go to dive attraction, Kahala Barge, to hang out with large white tip sharks and Galapagos sharks. Kahala Barge is a mixture of concrete and the remnants of hundreds of cars that were dumped in the '60s to form an artificial reef. It has developed into a lush habitat for fish.

National Geographic type encounters are not limited to the advanced diver. Many rare and endangered species can be viewed from the East Honolulu shoreline. There are football-sized Samoan crabs loitering along the streams and haunting black Iwa birds (think Death Eaters from Harry Potter) at Sea Life Park. Then there is Hana'uma Bay, a fishbowl of sorts, except this one happens to be a volcanic crater filled with water and packed with fish. If you see a mysterious creature pop out of the water, chances are it is not a shark and is instead one of the many sea turtles. But if it emerges with flapping wings, it may be one of the many eagle rays.

Wailupe was named after the eagle rays, which historically frequented the area and are still spotted there. Many of the places along the shoreline gained their names from the traditional seascape and inhabitants. Kahala refers to a large fish of the Jack family and Niu Valley is from the word niu, meaning coconut. Continuing the tradition, the resident Hawaiian monk seal at Ermas Beach has been christened as Erma.

Historically the East Honolulu coastline was ringed with fishponds at Wailupe, Niu Valley, Paiko and Kuapa. Kuapa was the largest fishpond in all the Hawaiian Islands. In the '50s and '60s, the ponds were all destroyed except for Paiko and adjacent smaller ponds. The ponds at Wailupe and Niu Valley were filled with housing developments. Unique vestiges of East Honolulu's history still remaining are the war defense bunkers lining the coast, and faded ancient petroglyphs and a heiau in the area surrounding Hana'uma Bay. Treasures also tucked in these same treacherous cliffs on the Ka Iwi Coast (Hana'uma Bay to Makapu'u) are the blowhole, the fishing shrine and the little beach featured in the movie From Here to Eternity.

Also along the Ka Iwi Coast is Sandy Beach's famous black diamond bodysurfing spot known as Gas Chambers. This is one of the best places in the world to snap your neck. For those who surf, East Honolulu hosts many purposely low-profile surf spots preserved for neighborhood enjoyment. When the winds begin to holler, the surfers at Diamond Head and Kawaikui Beach Park are replaced with a community of avid windsurfers. If extreme sports are not your favorite, you can whale watch during the winter months from Lanai lookout. If you would like to learn whale like Dora of Finding Nemo, stick your head in the water along the Ka Iwi Coast and you will hear strange barking noises. These waters are part of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine sanctuary.

At the end of the day, many East Honolulu residents can be found in the Bay paddling with Hui Nalu Canoe Club. Hui Nalu was founded by Duke Kahanamoku in 1908 and original members included Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, namesake of the highway. Next time you are waiting for the light to turn green, look at the coast and savor the moment. Soak in the beauty of Maunalua Bay and the Ka Iwi Coast. The dramatic sunsets, the silhouettes of paddlers, and the ancient Paiko fishpond and Diamond Head crater all merge into a timeless backdrop. This is the gold of East Honolulu.