Molii Fishpond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Moliʻi Fishpond
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 Moliʻi Fishpond
Location in Hawaii
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| Nearest city | Kāneʻohe, Hawaiʻi |
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| Area | 125 acres (50.59 ha; 0.20 sq mi) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000429 |
| Added to NRHP | December 5, 1972 |
The Moliʻi Fishpond is a special place in Hawaii, located on the island of Oahu. It sits near Kāneʻohe, between Kualoa and Johnson Roads. This large pond covers about 125 acres (50 hectares). It is part of a traditional Hawaiian land area called an ahupuaa in Hakipuu. Today, Moliʻi Fishpond is part of the famous Kualoa Ranch.
This ancient fishpond is home to different kinds of fish, like Tilapia, mullet, and moi. People still fish here today, with special companies managing the fishing.
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What are Hawaiian Fishponds?
Hawaiian fishponds are amazing examples of ancient engineering. They were built by early Hawaiians to raise fish. This helped them have a steady supply of food. These ponds were very important for feeding communities.
In 1826, a naturalist named William Ellis wrote about these ponds. He was part of James Cook's third voyage. Ellis noted that Hawaiians had many small lakes and ponds. He said they were often man-made and used to breed many different kinds of fish. This shows how important fishponds were long ago.
Moliʻi Fishpond's Unique Features
Moliʻi is one of only four original Hawaiian fishponds still left on Oahu. The others are Huilua, Kahaluu, and Heʻeia. These ponds were used for "ocean husbandry," which means farming the ocean.
How Did Fishponds Work?
Each fishpond had special gates called sluices. These sluices controlled the flow of seawater into and out of the pond. They also helped trap fish inside for harvesting. Moliʻi Fishpond originally had five sluices. In 1972, when the pond was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Oahu, three of these sluices were still working.
This system of raising and harvesting fish was unique to Hawaii. You won't find it in other parts of ancient Polynesia. It shows how clever and resourceful the early Hawaiians were.
The Ancient Wall of Moliʻi
Moliʻi Fishpond has a long wall, about 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) long. This wall separates the pond from Kaneohe Bay. This wall is incredibly old. It dates back to when the first Hawaiian people settled the land.
Legend says that the mythical Menehune built this wall. The Menehune are small, hardworking people in Hawaiian stories. The way the wall was built is very special. It's like brickwork, where stones are carefully stacked. The gaps between the stones are filled with coral and smaller rocks. This made the wall very strong and sturdy.
Gallery
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Rock wall at Moli'i Fishpond
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Hakipuu on Ahupuaa map
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Facing Kualoa Ridge
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Facing Kaneohe
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Facing the Kualoa Mountains
