An ocean lovers wonderland…
Kealekekua bay is the jewel of the Kona coast. For hundreds of years it has served as an idyllic sanctuary for marine life, sea birds and people as well. Swim out from the backyard and instantly see hundreds of reef fish plus green sea turtles, eagle rays, humpback whales and dolphins. As a Marine Life Conservation District, the ecosystem is nearly pristine. The bay is the ultimate swimmer’s paradise - clear, calm, and full of marine life. Ka‘awaloa Cove (near Cook Monument) is a 15 minute kayak or Standup Paddle board away from the house and has some of the best coral reef in all of Hawaii.
History
Kealekekua Bay has a rich history and has been the location of many of Hawaii’s formative events. Long before Captain Cook’s ill-fated landing in the bay, Kealekekua served as a home to thousands of inhabitants. The Hikiau Heiau (sacred temple) located at the end of our road was used for funeral rights for the Ali’i (royalty), and the caves and crevices on the steep pali (cliff face) were used as the resting/hiding place for sacred iwi (bones). The steepness and innaccessibility of the cliff made it easy to keep the burial places secret. Legend has it that the unlucky person tasked with hiding the remains would be lowered over the cliff edge on a rope. Once the bones had been carefully hidden in a lava tube or cave the hider would begin to be raised back up the cliff however before they got to the top the rope was sometimes cut resulting in the hider plummeting to their death. In this way they made sure nobody knew the final resting place of the royalty ensuring nobody could control their spirit in the afterlife. In the late 1700s when Captain Cook’s ships first arrived in the bay, South Kona was the most populated area in Hawaii and possibly all of Polynesia. It is said that when Cook arrived in the bay over a thousand canoes paddled out to greet him. Perhaps the most famous inhabitant of the area was Kamehameha I who grew up in the village of Nāpōʻopoʻo. Kamehameha would become the first person to conquer and unite all the Hawaiian Islands. In 1969 the bay became a Marine Life Conservation district. This has helped keep the bay and all its inhabitants pristine throughout the years.
To learn more about the history of the area, check out this amazing article by Shannon Wianecki in Hana Hou.
