Maunalua Bay is a bay on the Southeast shore of the island of Oahu

Oahu

Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...

, between Diamond Head

Diamond Head, Hawaii

Diamond Head is the name of a volcanic tuff cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and known to Hawaiians as Lēahi, most likely from lae 'browridge, promontory' plus ahi 'tuna' because the shape of the ridgeline resembles the shape of a tuna's dorsal fin...

 and Koko Head

Koko Head

Koko Head is the headland that defines the eastern side of Maunalua Bay along the southeastern side of the Island of Oahu in Hawaii. On its western slope is the community of Portlock, a part of Hawaii Kai...

, and forming the shoreline of the Hawaii Kai area of Honolulu. "Maunalua" in Hawaiian means two mountains.

History

The beach park was developed by Henry J. Kaiser

Henry J. Kaiser

Henry John Kaiser was an American industrialist who became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. He established the Kaiser Shipyard which built Liberty ships during World War II, after which he formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel. Kaiser organized Kaiser Permanente health care...

 during the development of Hawaii Kai Marina. Historically, the beach consisted of 535,000 square feet (49,703 sq. m) of coral that was dredged and removed creating a watercraft channel. Kaiser donated it to the City and County of Honolulu in 1960.

Maunalua Bay Beach Park

Public access to the bay is easily made through the city and county beach park off of Kalanianaole Highway across from Hawaii Kai Drive.

Despite the tide height this bay and reef are always accessible to watercraft, standup paddlers and snorkelers. At low tide people can walk out on the sandbar, exploring the nearby reef. It is not uncommon to find moon jellies

Aurelia aurita

Aurelia aurita is one of a group of more than ten morphologically nearly identical jellyfish species in the genus Aurelia...

 that got caught on the sand bar before the tide lowered.

Another scenic spot for tourists near Maunalua Bay, is Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay

Hanauma is a marine embayment formed within a volcanic cone and located along the southeast coast of the Island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands....

, known for having clear waters and many native fishes, ideal for snorkeling and sightseeing.