My family would take picnics to this popular and scenic spot, often with many cousins in tow, and we’d venture into the ocean to snorkel, ride the little waves to shore, or just lounge on a raft, enjoying the day.

The best part of the adventure was paddling out on my blow-up raft, mask on, so I could see fish (and scary eels) along the way to the island. My family and I would land and hike around the small island. We always had fun.

Now, where we once swam freely two and three decades ago, is a sign posted with bright red letters telling us not to enter the ocean because it is contaminated.

The Department of Health has posted a "permanent" metal sign since early December 2005 warning swimmers, boaters and fisherman to steer clear of the area because tests of water quality over the last two months at the city park has higher readings of bacteria than allowed by state standards.

The reason? High bacteria levels from human waste.

Never mind how disgusting that is for residents of Hawaii, especially the neighbors who live there. But what about putting that announcement on the visitor briefing for those considering traveling to Hawaii? "Attention visitors: Do not enter for any reason the Pacific Ocean you flew 5,000 miles to see. It is filled with human feces. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please come again."

The state Department of Health and the city spokespeople say they aren’t sure why the human waste is in the ocean at such a high level.

In fact, these officials said they thought it might be turtle "feces" washing up to shore. Can you imagine -- they blamed it all on the turtles.

Seriously, that is what the people in charge of such matters at the Department of Health thought and told city lifeguards who shared their concerns.

"Over the years, we have had periodic concerns with what looked to be feces coming onto shore at Kualoa," Jim Howe told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. He says Health Department officials "looked into that, and we were assured it was turtle feces."

Come on -- turtles?

There aren’t enough turtles in Hawaii to make enough turtle poop so it washes to shore -- the Tiger Sharks make sure of that.

And it shouldn’t take a genius or even a biologist to figure out the difference between turtle feces and human feces, but even if it does, shouldn’t the Department of Health have taken samples and asked one of the many state biologists to give the feces the old-look-under-the-microscope test?

If state Health Department officials cannot tell the difference between turtle and human waste, which is in essence what they are admitting, shouldn’t we all be very, very afraid of what else the agency commissioned with protecting the health of the people of the state has screwed up?

Now the city and state officials say they believe the source of the water contamination might be the restrooms at the beach, but they are not sure and they have to meet, they say, to determine what to do about the problem. Next the government will announce the formation of a taskforce to study the issue.

How about using the easy button on this one and moving quickly. The solution seems really simple -- find out where the leak is and fix the restrooms. If city and state plumbers can’t figure out where the leak is, I have a great plumber who can patch any leak or snake anything out of a pipe.

The point is -- fix the problem and fix it now. This is not a third world country. This is America. We are supposed to be more resourceful. We are supposed to do better. We are supposed to protect our environment, not just talk about it.

Gov. Linda Lingle, who oversees the Department of Health, has said she has made preserving Hawaii’s environment a major priority for this year. Just a few days after her Jan. 18, 2006, state of the state speech in which she announced her environmental initiatives, comes the news that one of the state’s most scenic and popular beaches is closed because her administration screwed up.

Governor, how about marching down to Kualoa Beach Park and demanding better from your appointees?

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann -- you promised when you were elected a year ago to fix the sewers so they wouldn’t leak into the oceans around Oahu -- so what about it -- how about getting your best plumber over there pronto.

The reason people live in Hawaii is to enjoy its beauty and climate -- to swim, surf, dive, boat, fish and hike without fear of being contaminated or made sick by human waste.

If Kualoa Beach Park goes -- and nothing is done to restore it quickly -- it is just a matter of time before more beaches are banned from use because of contamination.

We deserve better. Certainly our environment -- and our sea life including our turtles -- do too.

Reach Malia Zimmerman, editor and president of Hawaii Reporter, via email at mailto:Malia@hawaiireporter.com

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