Natural Environment

Natural Environment

The Big Island of Hawaii takes its name deservedly as it is twice the size of all the other Hawaiian Islands combined. Its 4,000-plus square miles make it larger than the state of Connecticut. It is the youngest Island in the Hawaiian chain and Ka Lae at the south tip is the southernmost point in the U.S.

The Big Island was formed from five volcanoes, of which two, Mauna Loa and Kilauea, are regularly – but safely – active. Mauna Kea, at 13,796 feet is the tallest peak in the Pacific Basin. The Big Island is almost a mini-continent in itself, with terrain ranging from high mountains to sandy beaches, from dense tropical rainforests to dry pasturelands.

The area known as West Hawaii stretches about 100 miles along the western side of the Island, from the northern extremity at Pololu in North Kohala to Ocean View Estates in South Kona. The terrain is generally flat or gently sloping along the coast but immediately inland begins sloping steeply upward. This coastal zone, from sea level to about 2,700 feet is home to nearly all of West Hawaii’s inhabitants.

The highland terrain – the Kohala Mountains, the flanks of Mauna Kea, Mt. Hualalai in Kona and Mauna Loa further south – blocks most of the strong Northeasterly trade winds and creates numerous “microclimates” in West Hawaii. Inland higher elevations are usually noticeably cooler than the coast, and wind, rain and sunshine vary greatly according to the specific topography.

In any case, the West Hawaii climate is one of the nicest on the planet, with annual temperature variations of just 10 degrees between summer and winter. West Hawaii winters are cooler and drier with infrequent rain, while summers are marked by higher temperatures and humidity and often with regular afternoon rain. The ocean is relatively calm in summer with only light winds, but winter can see moderate force winds with large swells and waves and crashing on the lava coastline.

The diverse topography and subtropical climate make for an extraordinary variety of botanic life here, with hundreds of varieties of trees, plants, fruits and flowers – both endemic and imported or exotic varieties – thriving in West Hawaii. If it grows, you can probably find it here.