Anchorage· Oahu· Hawaii
Kawela Bay Anchorage (Turtle Bay)
21° 41.9′ N · 158° 0.7′ W · approximate
The most reef-protected bay on the North Shore, just west of Turtle Bay, with banyan-shaded shore, turtles and calm nearshore water when the outer reef breaks up the surf.
Practical
Position is the OpenStreetMap 'Kawela Bay' label, not a surveyed anchorage; no cruising guide we found documents yacht anchoring here, so treat it as local-knowledge water. The bay is known for calm nearshore water behind a reef that breaks up winter surf, but water is often murky and the bottom has rocky patches; surf breaks and strong currents on the outer reefs. Coast Pilot: north-shore reefs extend up to 0.5 mile out and all dangers are avoided by keeping at least 1 mile offshore, so reconnoitre the entry by dinghy in summer conditions first. North swell closes the North Shore to anchoring roughly October-April (Noodle's Notes). Shore is a 665.8-acre conservation easement (2014) with no facilities; Turtle Bay resort is a 20-30 minute walk east. 72-hour limit applies.
Best for
Calm-summer daytime stop with turtles near Turtle Bay
Season
Summer only (about May-September); untenable in north swell
Nearby
- Turtle Bay Resort0.8 NM away
- Ted's Bakery (Sunset Beach)1.9 NM away
- Humpback Whale Season (North Oahu Sanctuary Unit)2.5 NM away
- Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline3 NM away
- Kahuku Medical Center3.4 NM away
- Kahuku Shrimp Trucks3.7 NM away
- Shark's Cove (Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District)4 NM away
- Foodland Pupukea (Waimea Bay)4.1 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).