Lehua
Lehua is a small, uninhabited island of the archipelago of Hawaii. It is 1.1 km from Puukole Point, the northernmost point Niihaus away, it is like this for Kauai County. Lehua is also the name of a traditional Häuptlingstums ( ahupuaa ) in the north of the island of Niihau, which in its area of 179.9 km ² and includes the island of Lehua.
The crescent -shaped island is the steeply rising from the Pacific crater of a former volcano; they do rises to 213 meters above sea level and covers an area of 1.03 thereby km ². At the highest point of the island, the Kaunuakalā, the United States Coast Guard operates a lighthouse, Lehua Rock Lighthouse. The lighthouse was originally built in 1932 was replaced in 1989 by a solar- powered. Like almost all Hawaiian islands Lehua is also due to erosion already shrinking again.
The chiefdom Lehua had a greater area fraction on the island of Niihau and comprised 7.93 km ².
Flora and Fauna
On the sparsely vegetated surface of the island 22 different plant species were determined. As introduced over 70 years ago the rabbit plant canopies inflict serious damage, there are efforts to eradicate the rabbits on Lehua. The island is also a major breeding area for seabirds is: To breed seven species on the island, a further 17 species seek the island on a regular basis. Among the most important breeding birds include the Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster ), the colony counts on Lehua the largest in all of Hawaii, and the red-footed boobies (Sula sula ), the Schwarzfußalbatros ( Phoebastria nigripes ) and the wedge-tailed shearwater ( Puffinus pacificus ). Lehua is, like many other small islands of Hawaii and a Hawaii State Seabird Sanctuary ( bird sanctuary ) and may not be entered.
Cultural Significance
Because of its western location, the island in the Hawaiian culture is associated with the sunset and named a breeze for her. In poetry, we used the island together with the easternmost point in Hawaii, Cape Kumukahi, as an expression for the size of the archipelago.
Gallery
Lehua seen from the west