Channels of the Hawaiian Islands Maui. Although the channel is only about at its shortest point, it is one of the windiest and roughest in the Hawaiian Islands. The Kalohi Channel is the stretch of water separating Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi. Depth of water in this channel is about and width is . This is one of the less treacherous channels between islands in the archipelago, although strong winds and choppy sea conditions are frequent. Kalolohia beach on the Lānaʻi coast is also known as "Shipwreck Beach" because of a wreck on the reef there. Kalohi means "the slowness." The Kaiwi Channel (also known as the
Hawaiian Islands the United States. The eight main islands of Hawaii (also called the Hawaiian Windward Islands) are listed here. All except Kahoolawe are inhabited. Smaller islands, atolls, and reefs (all west of Niihau are uninhabited) form the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, or Hawaiian Leeward Islands: The state of Hawaii counts 137 "islands" in the Hawaiian chain. This number includes all minor islands and islets, or very small islands, offshore of the main islands (listed above) and individual islets in each atoll. These are just a few: This chain of islands, or archipelago, developed as the Pacific Plate moved slowly northwestward over a