Ki'ope Pond

Ki'ope Pond is a sacred brackish water pond along the Kona coast on the Island of Hawaii. Built with lava rock and coral mortar in the mid 1800's, it once served as a bathhouse for the royal families. Fresh water enters the pond through underground springs along the edges of the wall. Because a mixture of sea water and abundant fresh water created rich nutrients, the King later converted it into a fish pond, and a gate called a makaha was added to increase filtration and fish control. It is one of the last sacred brackish water ponds along the Kona coast on the Island of Hawaii.

Holualoa, Hawaii · United States