Kona Coffee Farmer - Insights on Kealakekua Snorkeling - Big Island

I live in Kealakekua and am an avid user of the great bay ( snorkel, SUP, swimming, kayak, hiking). Very interesting to read your website.

The goons hanging at the pier and illegally renting kayaks are indeed a big problem. I have seen them harassing tourists several times. Even my kids and myself! They are the "usual suspects" who have a warning system established whenever a police or DLNR car comes down the lone road to patrol the area ( they vanish & reappear). They are indeed drug addicts living in a house nearby or in vans. Cars have been vandalized when the intimidation didn't work, or they have charged high parking fees illegally.

The pier is a State Park and no commercial activity, dope smoking & dealing, or liquor are allowed.

A 24/7 camera installation would take care of the problem.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED to report them as often as possible! Hawaii lives off the tourism and your complaints weigh much more than i.e. mine or my neighbors.

Please, please report your experience--best to shoot an email:
- Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation: Nancy Murphy 808 329-4215 EMAIL: Nancy.E.Murphy@hawaii.gov
- DLNR Hawaii State PArk Office: Dean Takebayashi 808 974-6206 EMAIL: Dean.H.Takebayashi@hawaii.go

The recent tsunami (2011) has changed some parts of the bay. It hit the Manini Beach area the hardest. It ricocheted back to the monument, and again back to Manini Beach, adding to the still rushing surge to 19 (!) feet height. One house ( for sale, actually) got taken off its foundation and floated in the bay for days. Many folks came together and cleaned everything up in no time. Go to youtube.com, and you will find plenty of videos where you see snorklers and skin divers cleaning up the debris.

Keep up the good work!

Joachim