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Hawaii’s Back yard  Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
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Old Hawaiian culture
lives at Big Isle park
IT'S quiet at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, but the land and sea in this breathtaking sector of the Big Island's Kona Coast speak volumes to those who wish to listen.Take the park's Kaloko Fishpond, for example. Forty feet wide, 6-and-a-half feet high and 250 yards long, its kuapa (seawall) is a remarkable feat of engineering and construction that's five times bigger than that of the average fishpond in Hawaii.
It was built with thousands of rocks of various sizes and shapes, fitted together with the precision of master masons without the use of any mortar. Its location and angle were carefully chosen, enabling it to deflect the powerful force of the waves. At the same time, the wall is porous, allowing water to flow through it, helping to absorb the constant battering of the ocean.
For at least 300 years, the kuapa stood firm. It was not until the 1950s, when it was filled with cement to reduce maintenance costs, that it buckled during heavy storms. The National Park Service is now rebuilding the wall in the traditional interlocking style as part of a project to restore the fishpond, one of Kaloko-Honokohau's hundreds of precious archaeological gems.
Designated a National Historical Landmark on Dec. 29, 1962, and established as a National Historical Park on Nov. 10, 1978, this magnificent 1,160-acre site once was a thriving settlement where Hawaiians grew taro, sweet potatoes, coconut, wood for fires and building material, and fiber for clothing and cordage. A close-knit community bonded by the concept of ohana (family), they also raised chickens, dogs and pigs, and harvested fish from the sea and ponds, both man-made and natural. The waters off Kaloko-Honokohau make up nearly half the park's total acreage, and are jointly managed by the National Park Service and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources as a Fishery Replenishment Area.
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ALTHOUGH IT is one of the lesser-known parks in the National Park system, Kaloko-Honokohau drew 77,600 visitors last year and already has surpassed that number this year. Park superintendent Geri Bell notes: "Its story needs to be told because it encompasses some of the most important natural systems; habitats for threatened and endangered species; and cultural, historical and natural resources in the state. It provides visitors with opportunities to hike, swim, snorkel and fish in pristine environments, see amazing wildlife and learn how the ancient Hawaiians thrived in a seemingly harsh environment. Visitor uses and needs are secondary, though, to protecting the park's fragile resources."
Scattered throughout Kaloko-Honokohau are more than 200 significant archaeological sites, including house and temple platforms, fishing shrines, canoe landings, petroglyphs and pa, rock planters lined with coconut husks and filled with soil and brackish water in which plants for food and fishing tools were grown in ancient times. Visitors explore the park at their own pace on five well-marked trails covering 9.5 miles, including a restored one-mile segment of the Mamalahoa Trail, which, built in the mid-1800s, once extended around most of the Big Island.
At the southern end of the park, which borders Honokohau Harbor, one trail leads to a 19th-century salt pan. Ranchers hauled buckets of ocean water to this large cement slab, returning in several days to collect the salt that remained when the water evaporated.
Many enjoy a dip beside a pretty white sand beach, where the salt water of the ocean mixes with fresh water from underground springs. It's only 3 to 4 feet deep during high tide, which made it easy for early Hawaiians to construct fish traps rising out of the water. During high tide, the fish would swim about freely. When the water receded, however, they were penned in the rectangular rock enclosures and could be easily caught.
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TRAVEL NORTH across the beach, past several tidal pools, and you'll come to the naturally formed Aimakapa Fishpond, now a preserve for wetland birds such as the endangered aeo (Hawaiian stilt) and alae keokeo (Hawaiian coot). Sharp-eyed birders can spot dozens of other native, indigenous and introduced bird species at the park, including the kolea (Pacific golden plover), ulili (wandering tattler), akekeke (ruddy turnstone), hunakai (sanderling) and other winter migrants.
"Bring binoculars," Bell suggests. "We've recorded 82 species of birds in the park. The Hawaiian stilt, Hawaiian coot, zebra dove, mynah and Japanese white-eye-can are among those that can be seen year round."
Threatened honu (green sea turtle) also are contented residents of Kaloko-Honokohau. More than 130 juveniles weighing between 19 and 140 pounds have been counted in shoreline habitats, a young population that's believed to have been born after honu were placed under federal protection in July 1978.
To ensure the proliferation of its honu population, the park established a turtle research program in cooperation with the Marine Turtle Research Program of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Among other things, marine biologists are investigating the health and growth rates of the turtles, how they use the algae beds and coral reef habitats, and when they appear in the greatest numbers. Studies over the past few years indicate most reside at Kaloko-Honokohau during the summer.
Bell has spent countless hours in the park, seeking clues to the past hidden among its ponds, rocks and vegetation. "As a native Hawaiian, I am humbled and honored to manage and be the steward of a park that recognizes and celebrates a culture that flourished over 1,200 years prior to Western contact," she said. "Whenever I'm in the park, it gives me 'chicken skin' to feel the presence of my ancestors and to admire their ingenuity, resourcefulness and engineering skills. No one could ask for a more rewarding experience."
If you go ...
What: Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical ParkWhere: Main entrance is 3.8 miles south of Kona International Airport, off Queen Kaahumanu Highway
When: Hale Hookipa Visitor Contact Station is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The park itself is open around the clock, including holidays.
Admission: Free
Call: 808-326-9057
Web site: www.nps.gov/kaho
Note: Information is available at Hale Hookipa, located at the main entrance. You'll also find a bookstore, restrooms, parking and personnel available to provide park orientation. Concessions are not available. Overnight camping and fires are not permitted. Guided tours may be arranged by calling 808-329-6881, ext. 209, at least two weeks in advance. It's suggested that tour-goers make a donation to the park's interpretive and resource management programs.