Ancient Warning Emerges On Hawaiian Shore Days Before Massive Earthquake
In a rare and haunting alignment of nature and history, ancient petroglyphs long buried beneath sand and surf emerged along the shoreline of Pōkaʻī Bay in Waiʻanae, Oʻahu—just days before a powerful earthquake struck across the Pacific. The reappearance of these sacred carvings has stirred wonder, reverence, and unease among locals and cultural experts alike.
On July 23, unusually low tides and soft, retreating waves gently swept away layers of sand and algae from a massive sandstone boulder resting near the bay’s edge. What emerged was a striking tableau of 26 petroglyphs, etched centuries ago by Native Hawaiian ancestors. These carvings, stretching across a 115-foot section of shoreline, had not been fully visible since 2016 and are believed to date back between 600 and 1,000 years.
The figures—mainly stylized stick-like humans—are carved with remarkable consistency. Eighteen have been identified as anthropomorphic, and eight may depict phallic imagery, a detail that, while provocative, holds symbolic and cultural meaning in Polynesian traditions, often linked to fertility, creation, and spiritual power.
While archaeologists acknowledge the historic significance of the carvings, their exact meanings remain a mystery. The motifs lack written records, making interpretation challenging. But for Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners like Glen Kila, the reemergence is far more than a geological curiosity.
Ancestral Messages Beneath the Waves
“To us, these aren’t just carvings,” Kila said. “They’re messages from our ancestors—warnings, stories, and symbols that tie us to the land, the ocean, and each other.”
Kila, a respected cultural historian and practitioner from Waiʻanae, believes the timing of the petroglyphs’ return carries profound weight. He interprets the images as signs of environmental upheaval, possibly foreshadowing threats linked to rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and other natural changes.
“It’s telling the community that the ocean is rising,” he explained. “Our kūpuna (elders) knew how to listen to the earth, to the tides, to the sky. These carvings are their way of still speaking to us.”
One particularly large figure—carved with one hand pointing skyward and the other downward—captured widespread attention. Kila associates this image with the demi-god Maui, a central figure in Hawaiian mythology known for capturing the sun to extend daylight and fishing up islands from the sea. According to Kila, the upward and downward gestures may symbolize the duality of sunrise and sunset, or the balance between heaven and earth.
“It’s a religious symbol,” he said, likening its spiritual weight to the cross in Christianity. “It’s a reminder to pay attention.”
A Shaking Earth Answers Back
Just days after the carvings became visible, the Earth itself seemed to echo their emergence. On July 28, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia—the strongest quake in the region since 1952. The tremor, deep and massive, triggered immediate tsunami warnings across the Pacific, including Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast.
Although the waves that reached Hawaii were ultimately minor, officials at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency advised residents and visitors to avoid coastal areas, harbors, and marinas until further notice. The threat was later lifted, but not before sparking anxiety across the island chain.
To some, the back-to-back timing of these events felt more than coincidental. While no direct scientific link has been established between the petroglyphs’ reappearance and the seismic activity, the convergence of ancestral imagery and geological unrest struck a chord within the local community.
“It’s not about cause and effect,” Kila noted. “It’s about connection. The carvings remind us that everything is connected—the ocean, the land, the people, and the past. When something old resurfaces, it’s often to remind us of something we’ve forgotten.”
Science, Symbolism, and Shared Space
Experts in geology and oceanography confirm that shifts in tides, storms, and sand movement often expose hidden features like petroglyphs. Seasonal changes, low pressure systems, and currents can unearth features buried for years.
Dr. Leilani Kaohelaulii, an archaeologist specializing in Polynesian rock art, stresses the importance of protecting such sites. “Petroglyphs are not just art,” she said. “They’re cultural records carved into living landscapes. When they reappear, it’s an opportunity—and a responsibility—to preserve them and listen to what they might represent.”
In recent years, rising sea levels and increased coastal erosion have made the Hawaiian shoreline more dynamic and vulnerable. Some researchers speculate that ancient carvers may have deliberately placed symbols in intertidal zones, knowing they would vanish and reappear with time, as part of a cyclical storytelling tradition.
A Wake-Up Call in Stone
For now, the petroglyphs remain partially visible, depending on tides and weather. Visitors to Pōkaʻī Bay are asked to observe from a respectful distance and avoid walking directly on the carvings. Local leaders are calling for greater awareness of the site’s cultural significance and more funding for long-term preservation.
“This isn’t just about looking at ancient pictures,” Kila emphasized. “It’s about honoring our ancestors, protecting our land, and staying alert to the messages that nature—and history—are still sending.”
As the Pacific continues to shift, and as the planet grapples with environmental uncertainty, the silent figures etched in stone serve as both a mirror of the past and a signal to the future. Whether you see them as warnings, wonders, or both, one thing is clear: the Earth is speaking. And someone, long ago, made sure we’d be able to hear it.
