Kaʻena Point, the westernmost tip of Oʻahu, is a rugged coastal headland valued for both Hawaiian tradition and natural history. In ancient folklore it was the place where souls departed this world, giving it deep cultural importance. The area later entered Oʻahu’s industrial past when a rail line built in 1899 to carry sugarcane reached this coast; parts of it were destroyed by a 1946 tsunami, though traces remain along the trail. Now protected as a Natural Area Reserve, Kaʻena Point supports native plants and wildlife, and a predator-proof fence completed in 2011 helped seabirds and native vegetation recover.