Here’s a blast from the past post that features one of the most impressive blowholes in all of Hawaii — Spouting Horn. (This post, Kauai’s Spouting Horn, was originally published August 2007.) Spouting Horn really is one of the top sights you should see on your Kauai vacation I hope you won’t miss seeing it when you visit the Garden Isle.
——-
In the Poipu area of Kauai, you will find an impressive blowhole called Spouting Horn. A blowhole forms at the end of a lava tube and as waves crash in, water goes into the tube and it builds up pressure to blow the water back out. The spouts of water can reach up to 50 feet high. Not only does the blowhole create an impressive display, but it also makes interesting sound effects as well.
This brief video from You Tube gives you an idea of how Spouting Horn looks and sounds.
The Hawaiian legend of how Spouting Horn began is interesting. Here’s how it goes per the Hawaii Visitors and Conventions Bureau’s web site:
Ancient Hawaiians believed this coastline was once guarded by a giant moo (lizard). Everyone was afraid of the moo because it would eat anyone who tried to fish or swim in the area. One day a man named Liko entered the ocean. The moo went to attack him but Liko quickly swam under the lava shelf and escaped through a small hole to the surface. The large moo followed him and got himself stuck in the lava tube. To this day, you can hear the lizard’s groan and see his breath spraying from the hole.
See more of our photos of Spouting Horn. To find Spouting Horn on a Google Map, click here. It is very easy to find and access.
Have you been to Spouting Horn? What did you think of it?
Sheila Beal
2 comments
We visited the Blowhole on our trip to Kauai in Summer 2008. We loved it!
A little sad that they had to put fencing up, but it is understandable.
just came across this website about sprouting horn. in 2006, my husband died, was cremated and wanted his ashes spread over hawaii. being from nj, we had no connection to hawaii. my girlfriend said, let’s go to kauai, i understand it’s peaceful, calmimg and beautiful. we found a wonderful person who owns a well known fishing business, (but ., that was unknown to us at the (who took us out several minutes in the oceans, told me he would stop whenever i felt the moment was right,, and it was by sprouting horn that we stopped to memorialized and say my goodbyes and let my husband return to then other side of life. i did not know at the time, the legend of sprouting horn or even that it was anything special. i like to think he is in warm lava waters being protected by by this lizard, unabately, a stuck, unhappy lizard,,