Buoy 51002: Southwest Hawaii - 215nm Ssw Of Hilo, HI webcam — United States
Working Still image · every hour Open ocean · Official source · What camera types mean
What you are looking at
Station 51002, Southwest Hawaii, lies about 215 nautical miles south-southwest of Hilo on the Big Island, in water close to 4,979 meters (around 16,300 feet) deep. The National Data Buoy Center owns and maintains this 3-meter discus buoy far south of the island chain, with no land in view.
Its position makes it a useful watch post for south swells. During the Southern Hemisphere winter, storms far to the south send long-period swells north toward Hawaii, and those waves pass here before reaching south-facing shores. The buoy also tracks the trade winds as they wrap around the Big Island, and it can help forecasters follow tropical storms passing south of the state. It reports wind speed, gusts and direction, pressure, air and sea temperature, and wave height and period.
The daylight photo strip, generally taken about hourly, shows tropical sea and sky in every direction. Expect trade-wind clouds and whitecaps much of the year, gentle south swells in summer, and a watchful eye during the central Pacific hurricane season from June through November. The buoy rolls, so the horizon often leans.
Camera details
- Operator
- NOAA National Data Buoy Center
- Station ID
- 51002
- Station
- SOUTHWEST HAWAII - 215NM SSW of Hilo, HI
- Image size
- 2880 × 300 px (6 frames around the buoy)
- Daylight pictures only
- Yes
- Image updates
- Every hour
- Video format
- Still image (JPEG)
- Position
- Exact (from the provider)
- Licence
- U.S. public domain
- Data source
- NOAA NDBC BuoyCAMs
- Working, last 7 days
- 100 % of checks
From the provider's own camera list and our automatic checks. Readings and details can change without notice.
On the map
Nearby live views
Questions about Buoy 51002: Southwest Hawaii - 215nm Ssw Of Hilo, HI
Is the Buoy 51002: Southwest Hawaii - 215nm Ssw Of Hilo, HI camera live right now?
Yes, it is working: at our last automatic check it was sending new pictures. It is a still image, not video: a new photo arrives about every 1 hour straight from NOAA National Data Buoy Center.
Where does this camera come from?
NOAA National Data Buoy Center runs this camera. It is an official source. Its images are in the U.S. public domain. LiveLocation shows them straight from the source with credit. About NOAA BuoyCAMs Watch at the source
Where exactly is this camera?
It is in United States. Coordinates: 17.070, -157.755.
What time is it at the camera, and is it day or night?
This camera is out at sea or far from a time zone line, so we show approximate solar time. The "Right now" panel above shows the local time and whether the sun is up, updated live.
Are there more live cameras near here?
No other camera is within 25 miles yet. The live camera radar can search up to 250 miles around this spot. Open the radar here
Why is the buoy picture dark or old?
No: NOAA BuoyCAMs take pictures only in daylight, so at night the last daytime image stays up. This is NOAA station 51002; its page also has the latest wind, wave and temperature readings. Station 51002 at NOAA
What are the conditions at Buoy 51002: Southwest Hawaii - 215nm Ssw Of Hilo, HI now?
The latest readings from the provider: Waves: 1.6 m / 5.2 ft, every 15 s from the ESE; Water: 27.5 °C / 81.5 °F; Air: 26.6 °C / 79.9 °F; Wind: 22 km/h / 13 mph from the SE, gusts 25 km/h / 16 mph; Air pressure: 1,006.9 hPa / 29.73 inHg. They update with the provider's data, so they can be a few minutes old.