the mountain you sail past
Diamond Head from the water: what you are looking at
The tuff cone behind Waikiki, and why it carries an English name from 1825.
Reserve your sunset sailing ↗Lēʻahi in numbers
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Volcanic tuff cone on Oʻahu |
| Age | Estimated 400,000 to 500,000 years |
| Hawaiian name | Lēʻahi |
| English name | Given by British sailors in 1825 |
| Status | State Monument; National Natural Landmark since 1968 |
| Crater area | Over 475 acres including the slopes |
A cone with two names
Hawaiians know it as Lēʻahi, most likely from lae, a browridge or promontory, and ʻahi, tuna, because the ridgeline resembles a tuna's dorsal fin.
Where the English name comes from
In 1825 British sailors found sparkling calcite crystals in the sand and took them for diamonds. The name Diamond Hill later became Diamond Head.
How it formed
Diamond Head belongs to the Honolulu Volcanic Series, eruptions from the Koʻolau volcano that came long after the volcano went dormant.
A backdrop to Waikiki
It is the landmark behind Waikiki in countless films and television shows set in Hawaii, and a National Natural Landmark since 1968.
On the sailing
Diamond Head is one of the sights on both sailings, passed at sunset, and the five-course sailing looks back at Waikiki and Diamond Head from the water.
Photographing it
Bring a camera and keep it ready on deck.