Kealakekua Bay (Captain Cook) (Snorkeling)

The British established the Captain Cook monument in memory of the site where Cook was killed.

Kealakekua Bay is traditionally a sacred site for the ancient Hawaiians. The name translates to “the pathway of the God,” where, it was said, the Hawaiian fertility god, Lono-i-ka-makahiki, lived.

When Captain Cook made his second landing in Hawaii, he arrived at a very sacred place during a very sacred time. When he arrived, the Hawaiian people were celebrating the makahiki festival, an annual joyful tribute to Lono-i-ka-makahiki.

One of the symbols of Lono-i-ka-makahiki was white kapa banners flown on crossbars. This symbol resembled the sails and mast of Captain Cook’s ships. Captain Cook’s officers estimated 2,500 to 3,500 canoes and more than 10,000 people were there to meet the god Lono-i-ka-makahiki…Captain Cook.