Peculiar tides at Kahala Beach Park

By noon on Friday, March 11, just nine hours since the first tsunami waves caused by Japan’s 8.9 quake reached Hawaii, people were back on the beach to assess the aftermath and enjoy the pleasant day’s weather.

Tourists snapped photos and waded in the shoreline of Kahala Beach Park, known for its calm shallow waters and threat of strong currents. A few hundred feat out, fishermen were taking advantage of the extremely shallow water in their search for octopus. Others sat along the beach taking in the sight of the exposed reef while reading a book.

Clearly visible on the shoreline were chunks of beach that had been taken back into the sea and trails of debris darting across the sand.

While the Tsunami Warning had been downgraded, the trickling surges and re-surging of the tides brought an eerie calm to the quiet beach.