# Hilo Bay > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hilo_Bay > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hilo_Bay.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilo_Bay > Source revision: 1303287198 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Bay in Hawaii County, Hawaii Hilo Bay and the town of [Hilo, Hawaii](/source/Hilo%2C_Hawaii) with [breakwater](/source/Breakwater_(structure)) completed in 1929 **Hilo Bay** is a large [bay](/source/Bay) located on the eastern coast of the [island of Hawaiʻi](/source/Hawaii_(island)). ## Description The modern town of [Hilo, Hawaii](/source/Hilo%2C_Hawaii) overlooks Hilo Bay, located at [19°44′10″N 155°4′37″W / 19.73611°N 155.07694°W / 19.73611; -155.07694](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Hilo_Bay¶ms=19_44_10_N_155_4_37_W_type:waterbody_region:US-HI). North of the bay runs the [Hamakua Coast](/source/Hamakua_Coast) on the slopes of [Mauna Kea](/source/Mauna_Kea), and south of the bay is the [Puna district](/source/Puna%2C_Hawaii) on the slopes of [Mauna Loa](/source/Mauna_Loa). The area just inland from the bay is the [Hilo district](/source/Hilo_District%2C_Hawaii), divided into north and south Hilo within the [County of Hawaii](/source/Hawaii_County%2C_Hawaii).[1] [Banyan Drive](/source/Banyan_Drive) runs through [Liliʻuokalani Gardens](/source/Lili%CA%BBuokalani_Gardens) near downtown Hilo at the edge of the bay.[2] ## History The [ancient Hawaiian](/source/Ancient_Hawaii) name for the village on the bay was [Waiākea](/source/Waiakea%2C_Hawaii).[3] After being surveyed in 1825 by [Charles Robert Malden](/source/Charles_Robert_Malden) of [HMS *Blonde*](/source/HMS_Blonde_(1819)), it was called Byron's Bay for captain [George Byron, 7th Baron Byron](/source/George_Byron%2C_7th_Baron_Byron). The [coral reef](/source/Coral_reef) on the eastern side of the bay is called Blonde Reef for the ship. The first [breakwater](/source/Breakwater_(structure)) across the bay was first started in 1908 under contract to Engineer Delbert Metzger.[4] It was extended in 1911, and completed in 1929.[5] The small island [Moku Ola](/source/Coconut_Island_(Hawaii_Island)) (now called Coconut Island) was the site of an ancient temple dedicated to healing.[6] ### Tsunamis 1946 Tsunami heads inland from Hilo Bay Hilo Bay is sometimes called "the tsunami capital of the United States".[7] The bay's topography steers tsunamis to Hilo from earthquakes in active areas such as [Chile](/source/Chile) and the [Aleutian Islands](/source/Aleutian_Islands).[8] The April 1, 1946, tsunami from the [1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake](/source/1946_Aleutian_Islands_earthquake) killed by between 165 and 173 people in Hilo Bay.[9] On May 23, 1960, a tsunami originating from the [1960 Valdivia earthquake](/source/1960_Valdivia_earthquake) in Chile (the [most powerful earthquake](/source/List_of_earthquakes#Strongest_earthquakes_by_magnitude) ever recorded) killed 61 people in Hilo. After the February 27, [2010 Chile earthquake](/source/2010_Chile_earthquake), the effectiveness of the [Pacific Tsunami Warning Center](/source/Pacific_Tsunami_Warning_Center) (PTWC) was shown, as no one was injured on Hilo Bay after the (PTWC) sirens sounded and evacuations were ordered.[10] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Hawaii County Council"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110708080958/http://www.co.hawaii.hi.us/council/districts.htm). *official web site*. Archived from [the original](http://www.co.hawaii.hi.us/council/districts.htm) on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-03-01. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Discover_Hawaii_Tours_2-0)** ["Banyan Drive"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120423113121/http://www.discoverhawaiitours.com/travel-guide/banyan-drive.html). Honolulu, HI, USA: Discover Hawaii Tours. Archived from [the original](https://www.discoverhawaiitours.com/travel-guide/banyan-drive.html) on 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2013-02-10. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hilo Bay](https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/359188) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** C. E. Fuguson (1909). ["Hilo Breakwater Notes"](https://books.google.com/books?id=XlAAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA73). *Overland Monthly*. Vol. LIV. p. 73. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** John R. K. Clark (1985). [*Beaches of the Big Island*](https://archive.org/details/beachesofbigisla00clar). University of Hawaii Press. p. [22](https://archive.org/details/beachesofbigisla00clar/page/22). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8248-0976-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8248-0976-8). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Lloyd J. Soehren. ["lookup of mokuola"](http://ulukau.org/cgi-bin/hpn?e=q-0mahele--00-0-0--010---4----dtt--0-0l--1en-Zz-1---20-about-mokuola--00031-00010escapewin-00&a=d&c=mahele&cl=search&d=HASH01f6f34fd282d21d593797fb). *Hawaiian Place Names web site*. University of Hawaii. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Frequently Asked Questions: Where is Hilo Hawai′i?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090528094603/http://www.tsunami.org/faq.html#1). *web site*. [Pacific Tsunami Museum](/source/Pacific_Tsunami_Museum). Archived from [the original](http://www.tsunami.org/faq.html#1) on 2009-05-28. Retrieved 2010-02-28. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Hilo has been tsunami magnet"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100304164228/http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100228/NEWS01/2280360/1352). *[Honolulu Advertiser](/source/Honolulu_Advertiser)*. February 27, 2010. Archived from [the original](http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100228/NEWS01/2280360/1352) on March 4, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-28. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-PAGER-CAT_9-0)** USGS (September 4, 2009), [*PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog*](https://earthquake.usgs.gov/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/), Version 2008_06.1, [United States Geological Survey](/source/United_States_Geological_Survey), [archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200717083128/https://earthquake.usgs.gov/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/) from the original on July 17, 2020, retrieved August 3, 2018 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Susan Essoyan (February 28, 2010). ["Hours of waiting, watching from vantage points around state"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200358/http://www.starbulletin.com/news/hawaiinews/20100228_Hours_of_waiting_watching_from_vantage_points_around_state.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.starbulletin.com/news/hawaiinews/20100228_Hours_of_waiting_watching_from_vantage_points_around_state.html) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2010-02-28. Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Hilo Bay](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Hilo_Bay). v t e Hilo, Hawaii Geography Coconut Island / Moku Ola Hilo Bay Landmarks Buildings Aupuni Center Federal Building, United States Post Office and Courthouse S. Hata Building Hilo Armory Hilo Masonic Lodge Hall–Bishop Trust Building Prince Kuhio Plaza St Joseph Catholic Church Waiakea Mission Station-Hilo Station Parks Hoʻolulu Park Kalakaua Park Liliuokalani Park and Gardens Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo Rainbow Falls Wailoa River State Recreation Area Culture East Hawaii Cultural Center Edith Kanakaʻole Merrie Monarch Festival Education Schools Hilo HS Waiakea HS St. Joseph Connections Hawaiʻi Community College Hilo Campus University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Transportation Banyan Drive Hawaii Belt Road Hele-On Bus Hilo Harbor Hilo International Airport Media Hawaii Tribune-Herald This list is incomplete. Authority control databases International VIAF National United States Israel Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hilo Bay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilo_Bay) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilo_Bay?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.