Department of Land and Natural Resources

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 20, 2020

O‘AHU OFFSHORE ISLETS REMAINED CLOSED – AHU O LAKA OPEN WITH MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND RESTRICTIONS

(Honolulu) – All of the O‘ahu Offshore Island State Seabird Sanctuaries, normally listed as open for restricted access, remain closed until further notice and are not covered by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s opening of beaches. Those islands are Mokuauia, Popoia, Kapapa, and the Mokulua Islands.

The islands and islets are refuge for many native seabirds, plants, and insects, as well as for Hawaiian Monk seals and other protected and endangered ocean species. This is the time of year when seals may be pupping and it’s important that they be left alone. The closed islands include the popular Mokulua Islands offshore from Lanikai. Anyone caught on the islands can be cited for entering a closed area.

The other O‘ahu Offshore Island Seabird Sanctuaries, including Kihewamoku, Pulemoku, Kukuihoolua, Mokualai, Kekepa, Moku Manu, Mokulea, Manana, and Kaohikaipu are normally closed, and remain so.

The islands are under the jurisdiction of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, which also has jurisdiction over the Kaneohe sandbar or Ahu O Laka, a popular gathering spot for watercraft. Regular three-day holiday weekend restrictions for Ahu O Laka are in place, which means that alcohol consumption is strictly prohibited, and officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) will be patrolling the area to ensure everyone’s safety and compliance with the no-alcohol rule. The rule has been in place for the sandbar for many years, on three-day holiday weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day. 

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 Media Contact:

Dan Dennison
Senior Communications Manager
(808) 587-0396
[email protected]