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Crime & Courts

 the City and County of Honolulu after she was fined nearly $600,000 over an improper apartment listing.

In 2019, Sandra May needed a tenant. She had owned a home on Wilhelmina Rise since the 1970s, with a lower unit in the home available for rent by long-term tenants. But after her husband died in 2019, May, living on a fixed Social Security income, needed to make ends meet, but couldn’t find another tenant.

To broaden her search, May listed the unit on several online rental platforms. But May — who her attorney Loren Seehase said “struggles to utilize any kind of technology” — had inadvertently listed the unit as available for less than 30 days.

That same year, the City and County adopted an 

 hiking up fines against property owners illegally hosting short-term rentals. Violators could be fined up to $10,000 for each day a violation persists.

In November 2019, May received a notice of a violation from the city regarding an online property listing. She promptly corrected the listing to show that the unit was only available for periods of 30 days or more, and believed the matter to be done.

Two years later, after the lifting of the Covid-era moratorium on evicting tenants for non-payment of rent, May again was in need of new tenants. Once again she listed the unit online, once again (in 2023) she received a notice of violation from the city, once again she corrected the listing, once again she thought the matter over.

In April 2024, it happened again. Only this time, because this was a recurring violation, the city informed May that she would incur daily $10,000 fines until the listings were corrected.

Unfortunately, May spent much of late March and April in and out of the hospital following a car crash and other medical procedures. By the time she learned of the violation and was able to correct it, 59 days had elapsed — and now she owed the city $590,000.

On the same day, the city also placed a $10,000 lien on May’s property stemming from the second violation.

“She’s like, ‘you know you’re going to put an old lady out on the street,’” Seehase told Aloha State Daily. “‘I can’t pay this, you’d have to take my home.’ And the city responded by saying ‘Well, I guess you’d better get an attorney.’ So, it was a very callous response. Poor Sandra was in tears about it, and there was no conversation, there was no negotiating, there was no listening to reason.”

May sought out attorneys, who referred her to the Pacific Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm that focuses on property rights cases. Even better for May, the PLF works pro bono, Seehase said.

Seehase said the letter informing May of how much she owed the city did not mention any way to challenge the fines. Without a mechanism within ordinances to challenge the situation, Seehase said the only option is to challenge it on constitutional grounds, in federal court.

In particular, Seehase said the case could be argued to be in violation of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. That amendment most famously concerns “cruel and unusual punishment,” but also protects against excessive fines.

Seehase said other Eighth Amendment cases have attempted to determine whether particular fines are so ruinous they will destroy a person’s livelihood, weighed in proportion to the actual crime itself.

In this particular case, Seehase said, May’s mistake brought no harm to anybody other than herself.

“This is not the type of situation where we’ve got like a building code violation and lives are imminently in danger,” Seehase said. “This is an advertisement, so there was no harm done to anyone.”

On the other side of the coin, Seehase said the $10,000-per-day fines are the absolute maximum allowed by city ordinance, and that the city could have chosen to reduce those fines at their discretion. Because the city hit May with the $590,000 fines and the $10,000 lien on the same day, Seehase said that “it really kind of appeared that the city went on a vendetta … against poor Sandra.”

Seehase emphasized that, regardless of how the listings may have appeared online, May did not ever offer the property for periods of less than 30 days. If a person attempted to book the property for less than 30 days, May would cancel the booking.

May is seeking relief through the federal court, not monetary damages, Seehase said. Should they win, the court will determine an appropriate remedy, potentially including a partial or total reduction of the fines.

Seehase said the City and County has 21 days to respond once they have been served.

A spokesman for the Department of Planning and Permitting told ASD the department cannot comment on pending litigation.

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Sandra May rentalsign 610x407 16x9

<title>Octogenarian sues Honolulu over $600,000 fines</title>

Sandra May was told she owed the city hundreds of thousands of dollars over an improper online rental listing.

Octogenarian sues Honolulu over $600,000 fines

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — The USC men's volleyball team made quick work of Belmont Abbey in a 25-18, 25-20, 25-21 sweep on Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center, setting up a national semifinal showdown against the University of Hawai‘i. 

Friday's match between the Trojans and Crusaders was a standalone contest in an 

. Although the Rainbow Warriors did not compete on Friday night, a turnstile crowd of 2,903 still showed up to take in the first NCAA Tournament match to take place on O‘ahu since 2004. 

With the win, the Trojans are set to take on Hawai‘i on Saturday at 4 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Final Four on May 9-11 in Los Angeles. 

"I hadn't even considered (Saturday's) matchup, because we have to earn our way to get into there," USC men's head coach Jeff Nygaard said following the match. "It's a real good confidence builder going into the matchup. We should have played them earlier in the year, but now we get the opportunity to play against Hawai‘i, so we're looking forward to it."

As Nygaard alluded to, Hawai‘i and USC were part of a four-team NIL tournament in February that was 

. The Rainbow Warriors and Trojans last played each other on March 15, 2025, a 

four-set win for the Trojans in the championship match of the Outrigger Invitational

. In that match, USC outside hitter Dillon Klein punished the Rainbow Warriors for 21 kills. A year later, Klein, now a senior, remains the top offensive option for the Trojans. 

"That was last year. I'm looking forward to the (Saturday's) game, though," Klein said when asked about his performance agains the 'Bows in 2025. "It was loud. There was a lot of green everywhere. But other than that, I mean, it's a rectangle with a net and a ball. Looking forward to playing some more volleyball tomorrow.

"The fans here are obviously very electric, and the atmosphere is second to none. ... The fans can be nice, they can be brutal, so I guess we're just gonna have to see."

As of Friday night, 9,723 tickets were sold ahead of Saturday's showdown between the Rainbow Warriors and Trojans. The record for attendance in an NCAA men's tournament match is 9,822 in 1998, back when UCLA and Pepperdine competed against each other in the national championship at the Stan Sheriff Center. 

"It's always fun to play in front of our fans at home, especially a big game like this, hopefully 10,000 strong," said star Hawai‘i setter Tread Rosenthal, who was named the Big West Player of the Year on Monday. 

As the national No. 2 seed, the Rainbow Warriors (27-5) will be rested and have home court advantage against the Trojans (20-7). But in order to advance, the 'Bows know they'll have to contain Klein in order to do so. 

"They're a great team. Dillon Klein is one of the best outsides the country," Hawai‘i outside hitter Louis Sakanoko said. "We have all the pieces to beat them, and then we just need to show and prove that we're a good team."

UH men's volleyball 050126

<title>Hawai‘i men's volleyball to host USC in national quarterfinals</title>

The Rainbow Warriors will face the Trojans at 4 p.m. on Saturday with a spot in the Final Four up for grabs.

Hawai‘i men's volleyball to host USC in national quarterfinals

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 just launched its new happy hour, which is available daily from 4 to 6 p.m. in the eatery’s bar and lounge area.

Start with discounted beverages like liliko

i spritz ($10), a variety of martinis ($10) — choose from matcha, tropical, mango, and lychee and peach — sake specials ($12) and featured wines by the glass ($10 each).

While not part of the happy hour drink menu, the eatery also just revamped its signature cocktail line-up with new additions ($18), including Olena mamaki tea, Rabbit Island, cucumber margarita and an espresso martini.

The happy hour dishes feature half-portions of popular items from the a la carte menu. The poke nachos ($12) are a customer favorite. They feature four different chips — won ton, sweet potato, taro and shrimp chips — topped with shoyu ‘ahi, spicy mayo, yuzu crema, green onions, pickled red onions, pea tendrils, kizami nori and edamame. The dish is full of contrasting textures, which makes it especially fun to eat.

The brisket sliders ($17) are a happy hour exclusive. These housemade rolls are stuffed with barbecue brisket, pickled onions and guava barbecue sauce.

’s new Paniolo burger from the a la carte menu — which also includes brisket — these sliders are sure to please.

The coffee rib-eye steak ($20) is another popular choice and is probably one of the best deals on the menu. It’s coated with a coffee demi glace and served with an arugula salad with tarragon dressing.

If you’re looking for comforting flavors, opt for the barbecue chicken pinsa flatbread, which is topped with kiawe barbecue chicken, mozzarella cheese, parmesan, peppers, red onions and barbecue sauce.

Other happy hour dishes include a lobster roll ($17), margherita pinsa flatbread ($10), seared ‘ahi ($12), kiawe smoked pork ribs ($17), chicken wings ($12) and garlic fries.

Insider tip: Ask about the restaurant’s new secret menu, which also should be accessible via a QR code on the menu. The secret menu currently features a burrata salad ($18), burnt brisket tips ($17), cheesy bread ($12) and a bone-in beef rib platter ($85).

The latter is impressive and designed to share. The platter includes six slider buns, pickled vegetables and barbecue sauce. The bone-in beef rib is available in limited quantities; the meats are smoked in-house. The fork-tender beef is flavorful in and of itself; the sweet and tangy barbecue sauce just takes it to the next level. 

Meanwhile, the cheesy bread features a garlic sourdough bread with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses in the middle.

Guests can enjoy complimentary self-parking for 2.5 hours with restaurant validation.

Complimentary 2.5-hour self parking with restaurant validation

100 Sails happy hour 030226

100 Sails Restaurant & Bar just launched a new chef selection dinner buffet, available from 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays to Wednesdays. This buffet costs $62 per adult; instead of action stations like prime rib or sushi handrolls, it features specialty items like roasted beef tri tip, guava barbecue pork ribs, mushroom risotto and more.

100 Sails buffet cheese 021026

New weekday dinner buffet at Prince Waikīkī

The sizzling omurice — fried rice topped with an omelet and demi-glaze sauce, served on a hot skillet — is one of the most popular dishes. Happy hour runs daily from 5 to 7 p.m.

Chez Kenzo happy hour spread 011426

Budget Bites: Chez Kenzo Bar & Grill’s $9 happy hour

<title>New happy hour at Prince Waikīkī</title>

100 Sails Restaurant & Bar’s new happy hour menu is available daily from 4 to 6 p.m. in the restaurant’s bar and lounge area. Dishes include poke nachos, brisket sliders — a happy hour exclusive — coffee rib-eye steak and barbecue chicken pinsa flatbread. Also new: The eatery’s secret menu, which includes a mouthwatering bone-in beef rib platter.

New happy hour at Prince Waikīkī

Winter break is ending soon. In a few days, Sean Yamaguchi is flying back to frigid Reno, where the star University of Nevada sophomore will continue his collegiate baseball career. Other college students Yamaguchi's age spending the holidays at home are likely to be enjoying an afternoon of frivolity at the beach or a related activity, basking in the relative warmth of the Islands. But on this day, Yamaguchi is partaking in a sacred family tradition. 

Mike Yamaguchi, his wife Leina and their two sons, Michael and Sean, have spent countless hours over the years at a park near the family's ‘Aiea home, where the sessions double as hitting training and family time. Michael and Sean take turns swinging, then the entire family would pick up baseballs in the outfield. Sometimes, the family dog would come. When others came to join, Leina would bring snacks. 

Each park session brought Michael and Sean closer to their baseball dreams. Michael went on to play collegiately at Saint Martin's University, a Division II school in Washington, from 2021 to 2023. Sean Yamaguchi's baseball story is still being written, though his resume boasts Little League World Series star, state Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at Saint Louis in 2024 and Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2025. 

Add legitimate MLB Draft prospect twice to the list, where Yamaguchi turned down interest after high school in order to go to college. In 2026, he'll be a draft-eligible sophomore. Yamaguchi is a prime candidate to hear his name called somewhere in July's 20 rounds, where he could then sign with the team that picks him and officially start his professional career. 

There's a lot for Yamaguchi to consider as he embarks on the most important year of his baseball career to date, which is why days at the park are vital. The weather is picture perfect on this day. Nobody else is waiting around the baseball diamond, a rarity at this park, where the only noise disturbing the peace is the sound emanating from Yamaguchi's metal bat, with big brother throwing the pitches. 

"It is exciting," Yamaguchi told Aloha State Daily of the potential start to his pro career. "Once the summer hits, it's going to start to feel a lot more real. But right now, I can only focus on just getting better every day. I honestly believe hard work pays off, and I think if you just keep doing that and keep stacking the good days and treat every day like day one, I think I'll be in a good spot."

[{"type":"text","text":"Built in the backyard"}]

Sean Yamaguchi's rise to baseball prominence didn't begin at the Little League World Series. It began in the backyard, where his tools were discovered and harnessed. 

To an outsider, the most distinct part of the Yamaguchi home, which looks more like a compound, is the outdoor batting cage. Built by Leina's father, the cage is where Michael and Sean spent hours on end perfecting their swings. With built-in lights, the boys could be in there well into the night.

"They would be there every night, as long as they did their homework. Sean would lie," said Mike Yamaguchi with a chuckle. Mike also recalled how neighbors could certainly hear the echoes but would hardly complain. 

Before Sean Yamaguchi looked up to the pros, he looked up to Michael. He'd sit in the stands, cheering big brother on, hoping to hit home runs in the same leagues one day. With Michael showing Sean the way, little brother excelled in the sport. It wasn't long until Sean was playing above his age group and playing on the same teams as Michael. 

Hitting dingers was fun, and there were a lot of them, but Mike Yamaguchi says his boys also spent a large portion of time working on fielding in the cage at home. Hitting at the park also became routine, because the boys also had to learn how to hit in all areas of the field and weren't able to see the ball travel as well in the cage. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Little League dreams "}]

 hadn't met Sean Yamaguchi yet, but he had certainly heard of his 10U team's prowess. In addition to Yamaguchi, his team featured players such as future Little League World Series standouts Jace Souza, Mana Lau Kong, Aukai Kea, and even current Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola. The following year, when Yamaguchi was playing in a tournament with ‘Iolani's 11U team, Oda was impressed by a pair of extra base hits he belted to right center — kids that age tend to pull the ball. 

"He wasn't the fastest guy, he obviously wasn't the biggest guy, but he just had a good nose to the ball and he could hit," Oda recalled. 

Yamaguchi and Oda still had't met until Yamaguchi introduced himself unprompted after the game. 

"This kid gets it. He's only 11 years old, but what impressed me the most, the fact that he went out of his way to talk to me," Oda said. "That tells you what kind of kid this kid is, and of course, the parents. It very, very rarely happens where a kid will just walk up to me and just shake my hand. That's not normal for a kid that young to do that. And then we had an opportunity to pick him up later on."

Yamaguchi was perhaps the face of a Honolulu Little League team that went all the way to the 2018 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. and won. His charisma was displayed during off the field moments on ESPN, endearing the team to the world and providing hope for a state that was preparing for a potentially catastrophic hurricane. He also happened to be one of the star players, batting .400 with a grand slam while serving as the team's 3-hole hitter. He even pitched, refusing to give up a run in his two relief appearances. 

While the Little League World Series gains massive popularity in Hawai‘i when a team from the Islands makes it to Williamsport, the event is not without its detractors. For decades, the argument has been made against having 11- and 12-year-old kids play in a 

 in front of a network that televises it to millions of viewers worldwide. All the while, since the event runs in late August, the kids are missing school. 

"Once in a while, you look up and you see all those people, and you're like, 'Dude, this is kind of crazy.' And then you look back down at your shoes and at the dirt, and it's just baseball," Yamaguchi said. "We're just gonna go out there and have fun. And that's the best advice I ever got from Coach Gerald and them, is go out there, take a deep breath, look around and just feel like this is why you play baseball. You didn't play baseball for the cameras, for the fans, you came here to play baseball because you love the game.

"I was just living in the moment. I had a blast. I didn't go out there trying to be the funny guy or anything, that's just me. I showed me, and I just had a lot of fun doing it."

Added Oda: "What you saw on TV, for sure that's Seanie in real life. I think what makes Seanie very special was you see the good players, but the great players make everyone else around them better. And that's what Seanie did."

[{"type":"text","text":"Just the beginning"}]

Prior to the Little League World Series, Sean Yamaguchi startled his parents by telling them he wanted to transfer from ‘Iolani to Saint Louis. 

"He told me and my wife that he wanted to go to Saint Louis, and we had a long discussion, and I explained to him that Saint Louis is a boys' school," Mike Yamaguchi said. "It's a tough school, it's a very competitive school, and he said that's why he wants to go there."

Since Michael still attended ‘Iolani, the commute for the Yamaguchi boys was about to get extended by a few miles. Sean Yamaguchi knew leaving the nurturing nature of ‘Iolani in favor of the Saint Louis slopes was a sacrifice worth making. 

Sean Yamaguchi began to get recognized in public after returning home from Williamsport, but he'd be damned if that's where the list of his baseball accolades came to an end. 

"He knows he's blessed with a skill," Mike Yamaguchi said. "He's a very hard worker."

He returned motivated to ascend even further in the sport and created a plan for himself. Sessions in the cage and at the park would be supplemented by rigorous weight room sessions and disciplined eating. He quickly made friends with his Saint Louis teammates, inviting them over for some extra work. Names such as Aiva Arquette, the seventh overall selection of the 2025 MLB Draft, as well as Caleb Lomavita, the 39th overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, were some of the names that came through. 

"It got me mentally tough. It's a tough school. It's an all-boys school," Yamaguchi said. "If you're not ready to compete at anything you do, in the classroom, on the field, then Saint Louis is not the school for you."

During his senior year at Saint Louis, Yamaguchi hit .403 while manning shortstop for the Crusaders, winning ILH and Hawai‘i Gatorade Player of the Year honors. Saint Louis was eliminated in the HHSAA semifinals, leaving Yamaguchi without a state title. It's the rare goal that has eluded him. 

While racking up the individual honors, Yamaguchi spent much of his senior year filling out questionnaires for MLB scouts. More than a dozen teams inquired, wanting to learn what it would take to get him to skip his commitment to the University of Nevada and turn pro immediately. Yamaguchi ultimately decided college was the best route for his development. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Standing out of the pack"}]

One of the first things asked of Yamaguchi upon arriving to Reno was to put on the catcher's gear. Sure, he was a middle infielder his whole childhood, but Nevada's coaches were skeptical he could stick at an infield position at this level. Yamaguchi was told he'd start off as the bullpen catcher, and after that, maybe he could work his way up to backup catcher. 

"I said, OK, yes, coach, I'm going to go out there and prove to you guys that I'm going to do anything for this team, and I'm going to do anything to win," Yamaguchi recalled. In his heart, he knew he belonged at one of the other infield positions. And in his belly, a fire burned. Each morning, he'd wake up early to lift weights. He'd also show up early to practice to get extra swings in. With a strong showing in the fall, highlighted by a towering home run in a scrimmage against Vanderbilt, he knew his coaches couldn't deny him a spot in the starting nine. 

Yamaguchi won the starting third base job by opening day and never relinquished it, committing just four errors all year at the hot corner. At the plate, he hit 13 home runs while maintaining a .324 batting average, driving in 50 runs. He was named the Mountain West Conference's Freshman of the Year. The Wolf Pack went 34-23, winning the Mountain West regular season title before falling short of an NCAA Regional appearance by getting eliminated in the conference tournament. 

When a freshman like Yamaguchi puts up the numbers that he did, other schools notice. After Nevada's season ended, Yamaguchi became an attractive commodity, even though he did not announce plans to enter the transfer portal. 

Left and right, power conference schools were approaching Yamaguchi. One particular school, a College World Series regular, had hundreds of thousands of dollars at the ready for one season of Yamaguchi's services. All he had to do was enter the portal and it was his.

"As a 20-year-old, that's very intriguing. That kind of money that they were throwing out is like, wow," Yamaguchi said. "But the biggest thing for me is Jake (McKinley) gave me that opportunity. Nevada gave me that opportunity. So, I wanted to stay as loyal as I can. ... I think that offseason last year, it was pretty crazy. But I wanted to show my loyalty to Nevada and what they did for me."

Nevada's 2026 season, which starts on Friday with a three-game series at Ole Miss, is packed with promise. High expectations are placed towards the Wolf Pack despite losing McKinley to a coaching role with the Seattle Mariners in December. Under new head coach Jordan Getzelman, the Pack were picked to finish first in the preseason Mountain West poll, voted on by the conference's coaches. Yamaguchi was also five Nevada players on the preseason All-Conference team. Additionally, D1Baseball recently named Yamaguchi its preseason Mountain West Player of the Year. 

"Nevada's in the right spot," Yamaguchi said. "We're returning eight of our nine starters from last year. We're going to be really good. ... It was the best decision I made. Even looking back at high school, like trying to go out of high school to the draft, I think college was the best decision I've ever made, and hopefully it all works out."

[{"type":"text","text":"A big league future? "}]

A standout flag football quarterback and receiver, Yamaguchi made the conscious decision to focus on baseball around the time he became a Little League star. He's honed in on a singular goal since then: A long career in the Major Leagues. 

"I finally realized, bad days in baseball and good days, I still love the sport. I can have a terrible day, go 0-for-4, and I would still look forward to the next practice," he said. "You got to love the sport, and you got to make sure that you dedicate everything to the sport. I've sacrificed a lot, not going to the beach every day and stuff. It's just the sacrifices that I really put into this game and just making sure that I dedicate my craft to it. And I think that's when it really started to pick up. Like, I got a real shot at this sport, so might as well live it out, go all out for it and try to make it to the show."

Bring Yamaguchi's name up in front of pro scouts, and they say a variation of the same thing: The kid can 

. He's produced, on offense and defense, at every level he's been a part of. 

Because he will be 21 by the time the 2026 MLB Draft arrives in July, Yamaguchi will be eligible to get selected. Other players at four-year schools have to wait until their junior year. Yamaguchi can either start his professional career this summer or play another season of college baseball, where as a junior in 2027, he’ll still have the leverage to command a sizable pro payday.

The higher Yamaguchi climbs in the sport, the more responsible he feels for representing where he comes from. During his free time back home over winter break, he volunteered at a youth camp, offering pointers to those who aim to follow in his footsteps. 

"Something I can take on throughout my whole journey is to always represent Hawai‘i and always be humble," Yamaguchi says. "They love the local boys. They love the local sports. They love to back kids up. So, the biggest thing for me is understanding that if I do well and I put Hawai‘i on the map, Hawai‘i got my back. And I would never do anything to give Hawai‘i a bad rep. I would love to go out there with the aloha spirit and make sure that I put Hawai‘i on the map."

Yamaguchi has already played in games in front of thousands that were repurposed for millions to see. He's hoping he gets to do that more consistently and for a living within a couple of years. His childhood passion has turned into a business in real time, and he has the numbers to prove it. One of the few constants left in the mad dash to his dreams is his support system, especially those precious days at the park. They remind him he may be away, but he's not alone. 

"All I want to do is make them proud," Yamaguchi says of his family. "I can hang up the cleats right now, and I know they'll be proud of me. That kind of stuff will stick with me. Not all the achievements, it will be those moments where I'm hitting at the field with my brother and my dad and my mom coming out to the games, and them flying up to Reno and my grandma coming out. They've been supportive since day one. 

"If I can keep going and accomplish that goal of getting drafted and make it to the show one day, all the credit will go to them. They know how hard I work, and they know what I've sacrificed. But at the end of the day, they've sacrificed way more. I just want to give back to them and give back to the state and give back to everybody that's helped me out."

Both of Mike Yamaguchi’s sons are grown now, and days at the park are few and far between. When Michael was away at college, Mike says Sean would always say he wishes he was there. Now that Michael's playing career is over, he's the one throwing to Sean during batting practice. 

As the boys patrol the outfield to recollect the balls Sean just swatted all over the yard, Mike gets emotional when he explains how much he treasures times like this. On days he comes to the park with his boys, it's like they're his keiki all over again. 

"All the memories, it don't beat this," Mike Yamaguchi says as he wipes his tears away. "My boys are my life. This is the kind of stuff I remember the most. Just us coming out here and having fun."

Sean Yamaguchi 021026

<title>Sean Yamaguchi isn't done living out his baseball dreams</title>

Yamaguchi, the former Honolulu Little League star, is on the verge of starting his professional career, where he hopes to live out a goal of making the Major Leagues.

Sean Yamaguchi isn't done living out his baseball dreams

Columnist: Lisa Eller

Lisa Huynh Eller is a freelance writer, editor and project manager based out of Hilo, Hawaiʻi. She is a former reporter for West Hawaiʻi Today in Kailua-Kona, and a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Journalism Program.

<title>Lisa Eller</title>

Lisa Eller

Traditionally, koholā (humpback whales) are acknowledged as ancient beings and considered to be a kinolau (manifestation) of Kanaloa, the god of the ocean – which is why they may be referred to as “Kanaloa” by cultural practitioners.

Lisa Eller

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