About Kaula Island in Hawaii

Information about the small island of Kaula, a rocky islet of the Hawaiian Islands located about 23 miles southewest of Kawaihoa Point on the island of Niihau.

Facts About the Kaula Islet

STATUS: U.S. Navy Bombing Range or Seeabird Sanctuary
LOCATION: About 23 miles southwest of Niihau's Kawaihoa Point
ALSO KNOWN AS: Kaula Rock
TYPE OF ISLAND: Tuff Crater
SIZE: Sources say 136 to 158 acres (it is eroding)
POPULATION: Zero
HIGHEST POINT: About 540 feet above sea level
SHAPE: Crescent Shaped
FACILITIES: Lighthouse operated from 1932 to 1947
COUNTY: Kauai County

Some sources consider Kaula to be one of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands and other sources do not.

Kaula Ownership Controversy

Kaula Islet has been used by the United States Navy as a bombing range since 1952 and permission to land on the island must be received from the Navy in advance.

The state of Hawaii claimed ownership of Kaula in 1978 and at that time they designated the island a state seabird sanctuary.

Ownership of the island is still in dispute, but the Navy is still using the southeast section of the island as an aerial bombing and strafing target using inert ordinance.

Resources

Wikipedia "Kaula" Article

Jane Resture "Kaula Island" Article

JXPDA "Kaula Island" Photographs

Hawaii OIRC "Kaula Islet" Archived Article

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