Oahu Photos

Oahu is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands, yet houses almost 80 percent of the State's population, and is the center of government and industry. Military bases and training facilities occupy about 26 percent of the island. Oahu is home to many well-known places such as Pearl Harbor, Hickam Air Force Base, Diamondhead, and Waikiki Beach.
Whaling Wall
Diamondhead
Relaxing on the "Windward" Side
Carl, the "Wonder Dog"!
Waikiki Beach
Hanauma Bay
The Arizona Memorial

Whaling Wall
I wanted to start this section by showing you something that you will probably never see. This is a photo of a large mural done by a local artist whose name escapes me. It was one of what was to become a series of "Whaling Walls" throughout Hawaii. As this picture was being taken, work had already begun on a new building that ended up completely covering this mural.

Diamondhead
No photos of Oahu would be complete without at least one picture of Diamondhead! Called "Mt. Leahi" by Hawaiians, early explorers to Oahu mistakenly thought the crystals they found on Leahi's slopes to be diamonds, hence the name. This view is from Waikiki Beach, in the vicinity of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

Relaxing on the "Windward" Side
The "Windward", or windy side of the island, was a great place where a serviceman could rent a two-bedroom beach house at Bellows Recreational Facility for about $35.00 a day. Beach, water, sun, shade, and a hammock. Who could ask for anything more!

Carl, the "Wonder Dog"!
This is a photo of Carl and me, on the North Shore. This dog loved to swim, and was strong enough to pull me through the water behind him. The only trouble was, that he always tried to swim straight out to sea, so he always had to have a leash on him to reel him in when necessary. The North Shore was a good place for Carl to swim because there were many sheltered pools like this one, where he could swim around without heading to Japan!

Waikiki Beach - As Seen From Diamondhead
This is a view of Waikiki Beach from the summit of Diamondhead. If you look closely, you can see a little pink building near the center of the photo. This is the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, built in 1927. At one time, the Royal Hawaiian and the Moana Hotels dominated Waikiki Beach, towering over the few other buildings nearby. The Moana Hotel, also still around, was built in 1901.

Hanauma Bay
Hanauma Bay was formed when the seawall of a volcanic crater collapsed, giving the bay it's unique horseshoe shape. The bay is now a protected marine habitat, where you can swim and snorkel amongst tropical fish such as butterfly fish, parrot fish, and tangs. You may even be fortunate to encounter the state fish of Hawaii, the hamahamanukunukuapuaha-- also known as a reef trigger fish.

The Arizona Memorial
This is a photo of the Arizona Memorial, taken from Ford Island. The memorial was erected over the remains of the U.S.S. Arizona, BB39. On December 7th, 1941, this battleship was attacked and sunk with many other ships of the Pacific Fleet. It goes down in history as accounting for the greatest loss of life on any U.S.Navy ship. Of Arizona's 1,514 man crew, 1,177 men perished on "the day that will live in infamy".

	Whaling Wall I wanted to start this section by showing you something that you will probably never see. This is a photo of a large mural done by a local artist whose name escapes me. It was one of what was to become a series of "Whaling Walls" throughout Hawaii. As this picture was being taken, work had already begun on a new building that ended up completely covering this mural.
	Diamondhead No photos of Oahu would be complete without at least one picture of Diamondhead! Called "Mt. Leahi" by Hawaiians, early explorers to Oahu mistakenly thought the crystals they found on Leahi's slopes to be diamonds, hence the name. This view is from Waikiki Beach, in the vicinity of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
	Relaxing on the "Windward" Side The "Windward", or windy side of the island, was a great place where a serviceman could rent a two-bedroom beach house at Bellows Recreational Facility for about $35.00 a day. Beach, water, sun, shade, and a hammock. Who could ask for anything more!
	Carl, the "Wonder Dog"! This is a photo of Carl and me, on the North Shore. This dog loved to swim, and was strong enough to pull me through the water behind him. The only trouble was, that he always tried to swim straight out to sea, so he always had to have a leash on him to reel him in when necessary. The North Shore was a good place for Carl to swim because there were many sheltered pools like this one, where he could swim around without heading to Japan!
	Waikiki Beach - As Seen From Diamondhead This is a view of Waikiki Beach from the summit of Diamondhead. If you look closely, you can see a little pink building near the center of the photo. This is the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, built in 1927. At one time, the Royal Hawaiian and the Moana Hotels dominated Waikiki Beach, towering over the few other buildings nearby. The Moana Hotel, also still around, was built in 1901.
	Hanauma Bay Hanauma Bay was formed when the seawall of a volcanic crater collapsed, giving the bay it's unique horseshoe shape. The bay is now a protected marine habitat, where you can swim and snorkel amongst tropical fish such as butterfly fish, parrot fish, and tangs. You may even be fortunate to encounter the state fish of Hawaii, the hamahamanukunukuapuaha-- also known as a reef trigger fish.
	The Arizona Memorial This is a photo of the Arizona Memorial, taken from Ford Island. The memorial was erected over the remains of the U.S.S. Arizona, BB39. On December 7th, 1941, this battleship was attacked and sunk with many other ships of the Pacific Fleet. It goes down in history as accounting for the greatest loss of life on any U.S.Navy ship. Of Arizona's 1,514 man crew, 1,177 men perished on "the day that will live in infamy".