Makapuʻu Point (also Makapuu Point) is the easternmost point on the
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
an island of
Oʻahu, located in the
Makapuʻu region. Twelve miles east of
Honolulu
Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
, it is a popular hiking spot, offering great views of Makapuʻu and
Waimanalo Bay on one side and the Ka ʻIwi Channel on the other side. It is the home of the
Makapuʻu Point Light, which was established in 1909; the light was automated in 1974.
The lighthouse contains one of the world's largest
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens (optics), lens which reduces the amount of material required compared to a conventional lens by dividing the lens into a set of concentric annular sections.
The simpler Dioptrics, d ...
es. According to Neal McHenry, the procedure to produce another high Hyper-Radiant Fresnel Lens is no longer known. The Light House is lit by a single 1000 watt 120 volt alternating current lamp. Should the first lamp burn out, a tangent lamp will automatically rotate into place. The light house and the area around it is owned by the
U.S. Coast Guard.
The location is also popular for viewing the ocean,
whale watching
Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins (cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. ...
in the Winter, or seeing the neighboring islands of
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai ( or ; Molokaʻi dialect: Morotaʻi ) is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its g ...
and
Lanai
Lānai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands and the smallest publicly accessible inhabited island in the chain. It is colloquially known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The island's on ...
. Additionally, one of the popular "first kisses" from the romantic comedy,
50 First Dates
''50 First Dates'' is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Segal and starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Lusia Strus, Blake Clark, and Dan Aykroyd in supporting roles. It follows the st ...
, was filmed aside the lighthouse with the camera spanning the picturesque landscape.
References
Inventory of Historic Light Stations - Hawaiʻi Lighthouses
External links
from PanaViz
Headlands of Hawaii
Landforms of Oahu
Tourist attractions in Honolulu
East Honolulu, Hawaii
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