Meeting the Man-o-War in Hawaii’s Pololu Valley

Located at the end of Highway 270 on the Big Island of Hawaii lies the gorgeous and pristine Pololu Valley.  Once inhabited by Native Hawaiians, the valley is now deserted except for a herd of cattle and a few stray hippies.  Pololu is the northernmost of a chain of nearly inaccessible valleys stretching the northwestern tip of Hawaii to Waipio Valley.

Needing an escape from the tourist beaches of Kona and in dire need of a little exercise we headed to the end of the road for a hike into Pololu Valley.  The trail is relatively short but steep as you descend switchbacks cut deeply into the cliffs all the way down some 400 feet to the valley floor.

Once at the bottom of the valley you can continue through Ironwood forest and up and over into the next valley over, the Honokane Nui “big” Valley or you can spread out your blanket and enjoy the black sand beach of Pololu.  Swimming is strongly discouraged at the beach though because of fierce currents and undertows.  The waves were frightening to me and so were the constant influx of Portuguese Man-o-Wars washing ashore.

I am quite naïve when it comes to the ocean and I had never seen a jellyfish before.  I was intrigued by the royal blue bubbly things all over the beach and as I knelt down to touch one my Hawaiian friend said, “Yeah you don’t want to touch that,” in his laidback island drawl right before he popped it with his flip-fop.

I guess the Man-o-War has an air bladder that allows it to float on the surface of the ocean and when washed ashore the bladder stays inflated until a crab eats it.  All I know is that they sound just like bubble wrap being popped when smashed with a flip-flop.  My original intrigue turned quickly to fear.

The hike out was definitely harder than the hike in but maybe it had to do with all the Longboard Island Lager we had consumed in the valley.  My friend’s 4-year old made it up without a problem and I wondered what it must be like to grow up on an island like this and how I wished I didn’t have such a fear of these waters and the creatures that live in them too.