Ahu o Laka or "The Sand Bar" is a small sand islet which is exposed at low tide and awash at high tide. A "beach in the middle of the ocean", Ahu o Laka is a favorite gathering spot for boaters and other recreational users of Kaneohe Bay.
As seen in the photo above (taken from Kamehameha Highway), it appears as a long light greenish-yellow band in the water. The main sand wedge that includes Ahu o Laka is approximately 60 ft thick and 1.2 mi long. It is about 1 mile offshore, at the lagoonward edge of the barrier reef flat.
This area of the lagoon receives sand carried across the barrier reef by currents. The sand spills down into the main lagoon and accumulates there. The sand wedge is growing landward and appears to be engulfing nearby patch reefs.
...adapted
from:
JOKIEL’S ILLUSTRATED SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO KANEOHE BAY, OAHU,
which is available as a 2mb PDF file from the Publications
page at CRAMP (Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program) near the
bottom of the page.
