Waves and Swells Impacting Hawaiʻi NA ʻALE ʻĀPIʻIPIʻI O NA KAI ʻEWALU, THE RISING BILLOWS OF THE EIGHT SEAS Waves and Swell Impacting Hawai‘i: Na ʻale ʻāpiʻipiʻi o na kai ʻewalu Steven Businger [email protected] Kelly Lance [email protected] Gavin Shigesato [email protected] Pauline W. U. Chinn, [email protected] University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Figure 1 Large breakers along Kaʻiwi Coast pose hazards to local fishermen and tourists. Grade: 4-8+ Time: 2-4 hours in class, 3 days with lab and fieldtrip activities. Na Hopena A‘o: six outcomes rooted in Hawaiʻi containing values universal to all cultures. 1. Strengthened Sense of Belonging: through an understanding of lineage and place and a connection to past, present, and future. 2. Strengthened Sense of Responsibility demonstrated by a commitment and concern for others. 3. Strengthened Sense of Excellence demonstrated by a love of learning and the pursuit of skills, knowledge and behaviors to reach my potential. 4. Strengthened Sense of Aloha demonstrated through empathy and appreciation for the symbiotic relationship between all. 5. Strengthened Sense of Total Well-being demonstrated through meeting the demands of life while contributing to the well-being of family, ‘āina, community and world. 6. Strengthened Sense of Hawai‘i demonstrated through an appreciation for its rich history, diversity and indigenous language and culture. NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: ñ Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Prediction: Events have causes, sometimes simple, sometimes multifaceted. Deciphering causal relationships, and the mechanisms by which they are mediated, is a major activity of science and engineering ñ Scale, Proportion, and Quantity: In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different size, time, and energy scales, and to recognize proportional relationships between different quantities as scales change. Earth and Space Science 2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface ñ MS-ESS2-4: Global movements of water and its changes in form are propelled by sunlight and gravity. 1 Waves and Swells Impacting Hawaiʻi ñ MSESS2-5: The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the atmosphere, determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and currents, are major determinants of local weather patterns. TO THE TEACHER: CONNECTIONS TO PLACE & CULTURE(S) The title “Waves and Swell Impacting Hawai‘i: Na ʻale ʻāpiʻipiʻi o na kai ʻewalu” evokes the swells that travel over the ocean to break upon the shores of the Hawaiʻi. Na ʻale ʻāpiʻipiʻi o na kai ʻewalu, the rising billows of the eight seas (Pukui, 1983, No. 2199) refers to the waves that arise in the channels, the “eight seas” between the main Hawaiian Islands. In Hawaiʻi the trade winds are the most common winds in the islands, blowing from the North East to East North East around 70% of the time. Experienced sailors know that between the different Hawaiian Islands, ocean channels can have stronger winds than over the land. The wind will accelerate as it funnels around and between the islands through the ocean channels. The trades funnel through at speeds 5 – 20 knots faster than the open ocean. This leads to the National Weather Service’s detailed coastal forecasts intended for small crafts travelling these waters. (Current Hawaiian Coastal Waters Forecast at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/CWF.php and http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/) Travel limitless miles across the lonely surface of the Pacific Ocean, and you may find the Hawaiian Islands reaching mightily out of the sea. Hundreds of miles from the nearest island, and thousands from the nearest continent, the Hawaiian archipelago is among the most isolated places on Earth. We are surrounded by the largely unexplored, more than 95% unknown, massive Pacific Ocean. For a voyaging people like Hawaiians, observation and respect of the ocean is paramount. The ocean and stars laid the path for ancient navigators to travel throughout the Pacific and eventually reach Hawaiʻi. To accomplish this incredible feat, watchful eyes were kept constant, feeling the sea and knowing the sky. “E ʻike ka hōkū o ka nalu, ʻo hōkū ʻula, ʻo hōkū lei.” “Behold the stars of the waves, the red star, the wreath of stars.” The “stars of the waves” probably refers to the importance of stars near the horizon (rising or setting) for non-instrument navigation. (http://www.kumukahi.org/units/na_kanaka/oihana/hookele) There is no doubt ancient Hawaiians had advanced ʻike (knowledge) about large-scale weather trends, such as El Niño/La Niña; they would take advantage of changes in wind and ocean currents to make far-fetched voyages succesful. In the ancient perspective, the ocean was a road that connected all islands and families, not a harsh and forbidding expanse that separated them. While many people now are most interested in knowledge of ocean and waves, the hoʻokele (navigators) had a broad and deep foundation of knowledge including geography, bird species and habits, marine life, canoe structure, and meteorology. Hawaiians developed an intimate understanding of the kai, or ocean, surrounding these islands, recognizing it as the largest available resource and also a powerful force to be respected at all times. The kai is also constantly changing, and we know that pre-contact Hawaiians were acutely aware of these changes. The goddess Hiʻiaka once said, “Kāpeku ka leo o ke kai, o hoʻoilo ka malama,” which means “When the voice of the sea is harsh, the winter months have come.” This is indeed true; storms are larger and more frequent in the winter. hemisphere, sending legendary large surf to the islands of Hawaiʻi during winter, or hoʻoilo. Today, this famous surf brings visitors from around the world to Oʻahu’s north shore to experience the island’s reef and shore breaks. Ehuka’i Beach Park meaning “sea spray” is the site 2 Waves and Swells Impacting Hawaiʻi of Banzai Pipeline named for its huia (a surfing wave) that forms giant barrelling waves. Yet many tourists and locals alike are not aware of the dangers high surf presents – it is the number one weather-related killer in Hawai’i. The hazards include dangerous shorebreak, strong rip tides, and coastal inundation. High surf also greatly affects marine transportation to and from the islands, as well as other forms of recreation. All surfing, canoeing, and voyaging revolves around the ocean’s mood – ʻAʻohe waʻa hoʻoholo o ka lā ʻino, or “No canoe is defiant on a stormy day.” This ʻōlelo noʻeau tells us that the ocean has rules, and when the sea is rough, those who do not respect it will meet disaster. A good understanding of the origin, evolution, and nature of waves will help people living in Hawai’i safely and respectfully enjoy our seas and shores. SURFING, A FAVORITE HAWAIIAN SPORT For a Hawaiian newspaper article about surfing on the Kailua and Waimānalo side of the Ko‘olau see http://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/hna/makalei-ka-laau-pii-ona-ka-i%CA%BBa-o- moa-ula-nui-akea-i-kaulana-m%C4%81k%C4%81lei-famous-fish-attracting-tre-0 Excerpt: “Be ready our playmate, for I will call a wave for us.” “Can the wave hear if you call it?” said Kahinihini‘ula. “Yes,” said Hāʻipu, “the kapakapakū wave can hear, the ʻai koʻokoʻonā wave can hear. The wave that is called will come. The wave that is not called will stay.” HISTORY OF SURFBOARDS Hawaiians of all social classes participated in surfing (heʻe nalu, surf rider) using different boards ranging in size and weight. A 10 lb. paipo board, also known as a body board most commonly was ridden by women and children who surfed by kicking and paddling. Many surfers used the alaia known as a shortboard to ride the steep, fast, breaking waves (kai poʻi, kuapā). Alaia boards were around 40 lbs. Reserved for the chiefs, the longboard was known as the olo. They were made to ride long rolling waves (nalu kua loloa) that can rise and fall without breaking (nalu ʻaiō). Olo are known to even catch and ride a wave as long as 400 yards! WAVE DEVELOPMENT Every day thousands of ocean waves, or nalu reach Hawaiian shores. Most of the waves that reach us in the middle of the Pacific Ocean originate from high winds associated with storms far from land. In pre-contact Hawaiian thought, these winds and storms were controlled by many beings, gods and humans alike. In one legend, a priest of Waipiʻo Valley, on the island of Hawaiʻi, had trapped the winds in his calabash after the islands were pummelled by strong storms. This priest was Kaleiʻioku, and his calabash was called ipumakaniakamaumau, or “the calabash of the perpetual winds.” Maui called to the winds and freed them from this gourd after he invented the kite and wanted to see it fly. Over time, Maui learned to call the desired amount of wind, and not call storms to the islands. Afterward, people of that time knew that if they saw Maui’s kite flying, it would be a pleasant day with light wind. Another legend is Ka Ipu Makani o Laʻamaomao, or the Wind Gourd of Laʻamaomao. Laʻamaomao was the goddess of the winds, and her gourd eventually passes to her son, Pakaʻa, and grandson, Kuapakaʻa. In the legend, the winds are released to cause high surf, which 3 Waves and Swells Impacting Hawaiʻi swamps the boats of the family’s enemies, restoring rank and honor to Pakaʻa. A representation of the Wind Gourd was donated to Bishop Museum by Princess Kalanianaʻole in 1923. Ka ipu makani o Laʻamaomao (Photo: thepracticalshaman.com) The winds named in Wind Gourd of Laʻamaomao were mapped onto their respective islands and ahupuaʻa by Lindsey Spencer, Pōmai Stone, and Iāsona Ellinwood.