The Hawaiian islands are known for lava tubes, not limestone. As usual, within days of arriving, I managed to find some limestone. Soon after, Chrissy arrived on island and we continued our exploration and mapping of the Limestone beds of Oahu. There is much more work to be done, and we are only just beginning to become involved with all of the local politics and organizations. The Hawaiian islands have a rich archaeological history, of which caves and lava tubes play a major part. Coordinating with the department of Hawaiian homelands and other local government agencies is key to gaining access to many of the sites on the islands. Access to caves and lava tubes varies greatly between each island; Oahu, which has few lava tubes and only a few known dry limestone caves, is very protective of their karst assets. The big island, or Hawai’i, which is rich in lava tubes, is easier to access, as many of the caves lie under private property, which can be accessed with less process involved. The largest surprise for us was finding the extensive offshore limestone beds on Oahu. Below, you can read about some of our exploration and mapping of the more popular areas. As we remain longer in the Hawaiian islands, we hope to provide more maps, and find new caves.
