- Lehua
Lehua is a small, crescent-shaped island only 0.7 miles (1.1 km) north of Niokinaihau. The uninhabited, 284-acre (1.15 km²) island is a
tuff cone that is part of the extinct Niokinaihauvolcano .Lehua Island is a Hawaiokinai State Seabird Sanctuary. As a sanctuary, many activities are prohibited on the island, but entry is not prohibited. Lehua provides habitat for at least 16 species of
seabirds , as well as some non-nativerats andrabbits .When weather and wave conditions permit crossings from Kauaokinai, Lehua is a noted destination for
snorkeling andscuba diving . It is also well known for its unusual geological formation dubbed "the keyhole". Located in one of the crescent's narrow arms, this is a tall, thin notch cut from one side, all the way through to the other side of the arm.The
United States Coast Guard maintains Lehua Rock Light on the highest point of the island, at a height of 704 feet (215 m).References
* Department of Land and Natural Resources. (
30 March 1981 ). [http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/rules/Chap125.pdf Rules Regulating Wildlife Sanctuaries] (PDF). In, "Hawaiokinai Administrative Rules", § 13-125.
* Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. (29 September 1995 ). [http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/1995/95_09_29.html "Ookinaahu, Niokinaihau, and Kauaokinai"] . "Volcano Watch".
* U.S. Coast Guard. (2005). [http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pubs/LightLists/LightLists.htm "U.S. Coast Guard Light List Nav Aid Reference"] .
* [http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2004/May/Day-17/i11075.htm Lehua Island Ecosystem Restoration Project]
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