Kauai Information > Kauai Wildlife

Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai

The Kilauea refuge is located at the Kilauea lighthouse before you reach Princeville on Kauai’s north shore. Strolling the park provides close encounters with the protected red-footed boobies, Shearwaters, great frigate birds, brown boobies, red-tailed and white tailed tropicbirds, and albatross. Looking into the water you’ll find green sea turtles, dolphins and when in season, humpback whales. As you walk the visitor area up by the old lighthouse, informative signs teach how to recognize the featured wildlife. You can temporarily trade your driver’s license for powerful binoculars to enjoy the wildlife. During whale season you are very likely to watch several whales playing just off the bluff. Open Mon.-Fri. 10-4.

Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge

The Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, founded in 1970, is on Kauai’s north shore. Hanalei is 2 ½ miles beyond Princeville. You can watch wildlife from Ohiki Road, which begins at the west end of the Hanalei one lane river bridge or from the overlook on the highway overlook in Princeville. The Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge protests Koloa (Hawaiian duck), the Hawaiian coot, Hawaiian gallinule and the Hawaiian stilt. The refuge covers 917 acres of river bottomland, taro fields and the wooded jungle slopes if the Hanalei River Valley.