Just off the coast of Lanikai Beach are the twin islands of Mokulua (the name meaning "two islands" in Hawaiian). The islands were also known
as "Mokes" (twin islands). Both islands are sea bird sanctuaries
protected by the State of Hawaii. Some area is off limit and protected
by law, particularly the small islet is off-limits to visitors, but during the day, the beach on North Mokulua is open to the public.
North
Mokulua, known as Moku Nui, has a peak that is 225 feet high. The
island is 1000 feet by 800 feet in diameter with steep cliffs on the
north, east and southeast sides. A beautiful sandy beach can be found
on the west side. South Mokulua, known as Mokuiki, only consists of a
single hump of 150 feet in height. It is smaller in size than North
Mokulua, 875 feet by 700 feet in diameter. On its western side it has a
rocky coral beach.
Reaching the island can be undertaken by
kayaking from Kailua Beach about 1.6 miles offshore, which would
take about 45 minutes to two hours depending on the experience of the
kayaker. Persons seeking a bit of adventure often journey out to Mokulua
islands for fun and excitement. Paddling to the islands is quite easy
when the ocean is calm, but becomes difficult when surf winds are
blowing. The waves flow around both islands on their approach and clash
together in front of them. On certain days, the current may be quite
strong with waves coming from a side angle which can be hard for an
inexperienced kayaker to not flip over. Also, often the ocean may seem
calm and flat when looked from the shore, but on the way the waves may be
suddenly larger.
The area is a great place for snorkeling as
there are many underwater lava formation quite interesting to explore.
An abundant diversity of marine life can also be seen; turtles, rock
crabs, wedge-tailed Shearwaters, and on occasions during the winter,
dolphins or humpback whales. There are also special trails in Moku Nui for rock climbers.