Located on O'ahu's South Shore in the Kaka'ako District between Ala Moana Regional Park and the Kaka'ako Waterfront Park, the Kewalo Basin Harbor has been home to some of Honolulu's commercial fishing fleets, and charter and excursion sailing vessels that provide fun and exciting tourist activities. But, did you know that this harbor was CREATED by dredging the shallow reef along this shore to accommodate commercial fishing vessels or the overflow of other small vessels from Honolulu Harbor? My paternal grandparents and my father told us "kids" about their experiences of seeing the creation of this harbor AND Ala Moana Beach Park during the early 1920s. They often told us that Ala Moana was basically swampland and ocean reefs. Um, I remember seeing Ala Moana Center (the late 1950s) being built and yes, there was a LOT of coral reefs back then! Okay, so, I'm OLD!
Anyway, when we were children, my parents would take us to dinner at SpenceCliff's Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant located at Kewalo Basin Harbor. While waiting for our dinner reservation, we'd often walk out to the boat slips (I know that my parents nervously watched us) which weren't too far away. Ah, that restaurant was popular with local families and celebrities. Its unusual yet appropriate boat-shape architectural design and its nautical ambiance let our childhood imaginations run wild. As often as my parents made sure to expose our taste buds to global, local and American foods, the Fisherman's Wharf, was the place where we first tasted cioppino, Hawaiian turtle steak (um, I don't know IF it WAS really turtle), New England clam chowder, fish fry, and Chinook salmon. Oops, I digress from the subject... but all that remains of the old Fisherman's Wharf restaurant is its iconic neon sign which is located near the corner of Ward Avenue and Ala Moana Boulevard.
The Kewalo Basin Harbor/Ala Moana Park area has always been a part of my family's island experience. My family and relatives would often picnic at Ala Moana Beach then walk over to Kewalo Basin just to admire the boats bobbing in the harbor before returning home. As we got older, we'd overlook this harbor at sunset from some of the restaurant dining rooms of Ward Warehouse. But, we'd always find ourselves running or walking about this area. We noticed that over the years, many charters and excursion boats would entice locals and visitors with ocean adventures which include dinner cruises or fireworks watching from off-shore sails. Some of the more unique charters are diving excursions to view WWII shipwrecks and exotic reef fish, catamaran sailings, parasailing, snorkeling, and sailing on a pirate ship (Treasure Seeker). This harbor has been upgraded and repaired numerous times with an extension of the wharf, larger concrete catwalks replaced the worn wood herringbone piers and other structures and higher rock sea walls were constructed and the parking lots have been repaved.
We come here often to peer into the harbor's water near docked boats to see reef fish such as Moorish Idols and whatever swims by or we'll sit and just admire the different kinds of boats that are docked here. At the edge of harbor's channel is the Kewalo Basin Park which is a 5-acre triangular-shaped park where surfers and stand up paddlers (SUP) slip into the blue ocean from either the stairs or jetty. Me? I'm a land person so, I'll stand along the wide concrete promenade while feeling as if I'm standing in the middle of the ocean as boats pass by through the harbor channel. read more