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Lefty, Kahalu‘u's resident green sea turtle with only one front flipper, welcomes you to the Bay! Lefty was rescued by volunteer ReefTeachers when they found him entangled in marine debris that was cutting off his circulation. Working with Dr. George Balazs, volunteers and staff got Lefty to Honolulu, where his right flipper had to be amputated in order to save him. Lefty is now back home in Kahalu‘u Bay. Fully recovered, Lefty reminds us to mālama (take care) of the ocean and its inhabitants. Read more about Lefty.
»WATCH: Lefty comes home to Kahalu‘u Bay
Kahalu‘u Bay is truly a unique place, offering spectacular and easily accessible snorkeling with a great diversity of fish and coral. With over 400,000 users annually enjoying the Kahalu‘u Bay Beach Park, a partnership was created between The Kohala Center's Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center and the County of Hawai‘i to develop a long-term plan that will protect the natural resources of the Bay.
The Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center (KBEC), located right at the Bay, is open
9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. every day that the park is open. KBEC now offers snorkel rentals and packages right on the beach! Plus, with every rental, you have the chance to learn about proper reef etiquette. By taking some simple steps, we can all help to protect our oceans.
KBEC now has an online store! This store offers a diverse array of products, and the proceeds all go back to protecting the Bay.
KBEC also oversees two long-standing volunteer run programs: ReefTeach and Citizen Science. Our ReefTeach volunteers patrol the Bay and make sure that everyone knows what corals are, about the different types of fish and invertebrates in the Bay, and about the ecology of the reef. Our Citizen Science program is designed, so that volunteers can help collect valuable scientific data that track the health of the Bay.
We have a third volunteer program: KBEC volunteer. Volunteers welcome our guests and inform them about reef etiquette and marine life identification, help visitors be properly fitted with snorkel rental equipment, and provide assistance with our retail products.
KBEC is putting into place a ten year plan to protect Kahalu‘u Bay by implementation of the Kahalu‘u Beach Park Master Plan! This new model of partnership between a non-profit, The Kohala Center, and the County of Hawai‘i is an exciting opportunity. If you would like to support our work, please don't hesitate to donate. Lefty thanks you for your support of our work.
The Kohala Center is an equal opportunity provider and employer.