Kealakekua Bay - Decline

Decline

For the next few years, Kamehameha was engaged in his war campaigns, and then spent his last years at Kamakahonu to the north. By this time other harbors such as Lahaina and Honolulu became popular with visiting ships. By 1804, the heiau was falling into disuse. In 1814, a British ship HMS Forrester arrived in the midsts of a mutiny, and Otto von Kotzebue arrived on a mission from the Russian Empire in 1816.

When Kamehameha I died in 1819, his oldest son Liholiho officially inherited the kingdom, calling himself Kamehameha II. His nephew Keaoua Kekuaokalani inherited the important military and religious post of guardian of Kūkaʻilimoku. However, true power was held by Kamehameha's widow Queen kaʻahumanu. She had been convinced by Vancouver and other visitors that the European customs should be adopted, and in the ʻAi Noa declared an end to the old Kapu system.

Kekuaokalani was outraged by this threat to the old traditions, which still were respected by most common people. He gathered religious supporters at Kaʻawaloa, threatening to take the kingdom by force as happened 37 years earlier. After a failed attempt to negotiate peace, he marched his army north to meet Kalanimoku's troops who were gathered at Kamakahonu. They met in the Battle of Kuamoʻo. Both sides had muskets, but Kalanimoku had cannon mounted on double-hulled canoes, and devastated the fighters for the old religion, who still lie buried in the lava rock.

The wood Kiʻi carvings were burned, and the temples fell into disrepair. A small Christian church was built in 1824 in Kaʻawaloa by the Hawaiian misionaries, and the narrow trail widened to a donkey cart road in the late 1820s, but population declined and shifted to other areas. In 1825, Admiral Lord Byron (cousin of the famous poet) on the ship HMS Blonde erected a monument to Cook and removed many of the old artifacts. The last royalty known to live here was high chief Naihe known as the "national orator" and his wife Chiefess Kapiʻolani, early converts to Christianity. In 1829, she was saddened to find the destruction of the temples included desecrating the bones of her ancestors at the Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau. She removed the remains of the old chiefs and hid them in the Pali Kapu O Keōua cliffs. She then ordered this last temple to be destroyed. The bones were later moved to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii in 1858, under direction of King Kamehameha IV.

In 1839 a massive stone church was built just south of the bay. It fell into ruin, and a smaller building called Kahikolu Church was built in 1852. This also fell into ruin, but has been rebuilt. In 1894 a wharf was constructed at the village at the south of the bay, now called Napoʻopoʻo. A steamer landed in the early 20th century when Kona coffee became a popular crop in the upland areas.

A large white stone monument was built in 1874 on the order of Princess Likelike and was deeded to the United Kingdom in 1877. The chain around the monument is supported by four cannon from the ship HMS Fantome placed with their breaches embedded in the rock in 1876. It marks the approximate location of Cook's death. It is located at coordinates 19°28′52.45″N 155°55′59.63″W / 19.4812361°N 155.9332306°W / 19.4812361; -155.9332306Coordinates: 19°28′52.45″N 155°55′59.63″W / 19.4812361°N 155.9332306°W / 19.4812361; -155.9332306. The inscription reads:

In Memory of
the great circumnavigator
Captain James Cook, R.N.
who discovered these islands on the 18th of
January, 1778, and fell near this spot on
the 14th of February, 1779.

Unfortunately you cannot simply drive to the monument; this remote location is only accessible by water or a steep trail. Many visitors rent a kayak and paddle across the bay, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from its southern end. The pier at Napoʻopoʻo can be accessed down a narrow road off the Hawaii Belt Road. The beach sand was mostly removed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Boat tours are also available leaving from Honokōhau harbor, Keauhou Bay, and the Kailua pier.

Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins frequent Kealakekua Bay, especially in the morning. The bay serves as a place for them to rest and feed, and as a nursery for mothers and their calves. Due to the calm water conditions, extensive coral reef, and thriving underwater life, Kealakekua Bay offers some of the best snorkeling and diving in Hawaii. The shallow waters adjacent to the monument are best for snorkeling and Scuba diving.

About 180 acres (0.73 km2) around the bay was designated a State Historic Park in 1967, and it was added as a Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as site 73000651. The 315 acres (1.27 km2) of the bay itself were declared a Marine Life Conservation District in 1969.

A narrow one-lane road to the south leads to Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, which contains more historic sites, and is another snorkel spot.