The Newly Recognized Queen's Bath is a unique

tide pool A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only at low tide. Many tide pool habitats are home to especially adaptable animals th ...

on the island of Kauai,

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

. The pool is a

sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...

surrounded by

igneous rock Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or l ...

. It is located on the north shore of Kauai in the town of Princeville, at . Small fish and tiny sea life also live in the tide pool, such as Hawaiian

sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) ...

angelfish Angelfish may refer to: *Several groups of fish: **Freshwater angelfish, tropical cichlids of the genus ''Pterophyllum'' **Marine angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae **Atlantic pomfret (''Brama brama''), sold by fishmongers as "angelfish" in Sou ...

and the so-called "ghost fish". The original "Queen's Bath" was located in Kalapana on the

Big Island of Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii ) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of , it has 63% of th ...

. It was formed after a

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock ( magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or ...

tube collapsed and filled with fresh water supplied by natural springs. In ancient times only the '' Alii'' (Royalty) were permitted entry to the

sacred waters Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, spring (hydrosphere), springs, Water reservoir, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with t ...

. In 1983 Kilauea erupted and in 1987 the original site was destroyed by lava flow. Only after the original site on the Big Island of Hawaii was destroyed did the location on Kauai become better known as "Queen's Bath". This tide pool was used for what it sounds like; it was a royal bathing place. It was also used as a place of relaxation when an '' Alii'' needed to "wash off the stress".

Recreation

The swimming area is accessible via a short trail. Parts of the trail are steep with slick mud. It is a very dangerous site and not recommended for weak hikers or swimmers. In the winter, during periods of high surf, it is considered dangerous. As of June 2021, 30 people had drowned after being swept off the rocks by the

sneaker wave A sneaker wave, also known as a sleeper wave, or in Australia as a king wave, is a disproportionately large coastal wave that can sometimes appear in a wave train without warning. Terminology The term "sneaker wave" is popular rather than scient ...

History

Queen's Bath used to be called Keanalele and known for a mound with the most concentrated complex petroglyphs in Hawai'i."Pu'u-loa" Place names of Hawai'i. Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel H. Elbert and Ester T. Mookini. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu. 1974.

Sport

Local islanders came up with a sport called "Rushfall" at the Queen's Bath, officially released to the public in 2010.

References

{{Reflist Geography of Kauai Tourist attractions in Kauai County, Hawaii