Browse Map

Explore away

Explore Map Collection

Check out our basemaps

Print a Map Plus

Generate a high-quality PDF

Field Guide

Discover local flora, fauna, geology, and more

Local Flora & Fauna

Learn the ecology of your area

Local Geology

Learn the geologic formation at your feet

Get Started or Sign In

Welcome

Continue with Apple

Already have an account? Sign In

MAP

Topo

Measure

Topo

Ecoregions

Public Lands

...

BASEMAPS

Default Weather

Temperature

Smoke

...

WEATHER

Kīholo Fishpond Preserve

“Kīholo Preserve”

Nature Reserve on Big Island (Hawai‘ian Islands) near Waikoloa Village, HI

Official Website

Hawaii Fishing Regulations

Print Map

Generate High-Quality PDF

Get Driving Directions

Navigate Here

Access

On the Web

On Official Website

The site, a fishpond estuary with abundant marine life, includes two large, interconnected freshwater spring-fed pools containing numerous native fish species, hapawai (mollusk) and ʻopae (shrimp). A 200-foot-long ‘auwai, or stone channel, connects the ponds to Kīholo Bay, which has a resident population of green sea turtles that use the inland ponds to feed and rest. Threatened migratory seabirds also frequent the area. Kīholo is part of a larger coastal area that was once coveted by Hawaiian chiefs for its productive nearshore reefs and offshore fisheries, its fishponds and anchialine pools. For native Hawaiians, Kīholo is a culturally important site, especially for those who continue to live in the vicinity and trace their ancestry back to the land.

Classified As

Nature Reserve