Laniakea Beach event highlights Hawaii’s vulnerable marine life

NORTH SHORE—To promote awareness of the effects of oil dependence on marine life, a community gathering will be held at the North Shore’s Laniakea Beach on Saturday, June 26. The popular surfing and turtle viewing beach, also known as “Turtle Beach,” will host a gathering at 11:00 a.m. to hands at noon for 15 minutes in a single line for the protection of natural resources and the implementation of clean energy legislation and programs.

Inspired by the BP oil spill, which caused dead sea life to wash ashore in the Gulf of Mexico, the Blue Planet Foundation, Malama na Honu, the Waialua Hawaiian Civic Club, and other community organizations came together to organize and sponsor the event at Laniakea because of its significance as a sanctuary for sea turtles.

“It was important to us to select a beach with meaning and not just a convenient location,” said event organizer Patrick Doyle of Malama na Honu, a nonprofit organization that protects Hawaiian sea turtles through conservation and education. “We wanted to be with the turtles so people can gain an appreciation for what we have here and realize that our dependence on oil threatens these incredible animals and their home.”

Over 30 groups and organizations are sponsoring the event. According to event organizers, hundreds of community members are expected to turn out for the marine awareness function that has been named, “Hands Across the Sand.” The hand-holding eco-awareness event will be taking place throughout a number of countries including Africa, India, Greenland, and Australia on June 26.

Trisha Kehaulani Watson, one of the event’s organizers said, “Too often, conservation in Hawaii has been about only segments of the community. What we wanted to do here is bring everybody together. We picked a beach with cultural and environmental significance because we want people to see that this is a cultural resource issue and a marine life issue and an environmental issue. The most rewarding part of this event for me has been the support we’ve received from native groups outside Hawaii. The wide support we’ve received tells me we’re doing something right at Laniakea.”

Hands Across the Sand for Hawaii is part of an international movement trying to inspire the world to protect the coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife, and fishing industry by opposing off-shore drilling and the use of fossil fuels. The organization says it is taking a stand for clean, indigenous renewable energy for Hawaii to help secure a clean and sustainable environment for the Hawaiian eco system.

The Blue Planet Foundation, whose mission is to end the use of carbon-based fuels on earth by making Hawaii a global leader for energy independence within a decade, is sponsoring events throughout the Hawaiian Islands. On their website, visitors can upload photos and video messages voicing support for clean energy.

The website also features information about a 1977 incident in which an oil tanker was damaged during a storm off-shore in Hawaii and spilled 99,000 tons of crude oil into the ocean. According to the foundation, they are supplying this information to highlight Hawaii’s vulnerability to disasters similar to the one currently taking place in the Gulf.

The North Shore event is intended to be plastic free and participants are being encouraged to wear red and carpool, bike, or walk to the beach to minimize the event’s carbon footprint.

Hands Across the Sands locations include:

Oahu

Laniakea Beach, Haleiwa
Waimea Bay, Haleiwa
Waikiki Beach, Honolulu

Hawaii Island
Hapuna State Beach Park, Kamuela
Pine Trees, Kailua Kona
Hilo Bay, Hilo

Maui
Makena State Beach, Makena
Baldwin Beach, Paia
Hookipa, Paia
Napili, Bay

Kauai
Lydgate Park, Kapaa
Hanalei Black Pot Beach, Hanalei

Additional information about Hands Across the Sand events can be found at www.handsacrossthesand.org.