History and Cultural Narrative (Moʻolelo)

The Nōmilu Fishpond (Nomilu Loko I’a) is located on the south shore of Kaua’i. Nōmilu, an 18-acre ancient Hawaiian fishpond is categorized as a “loko Pele” (Pele – the Goddess of Fire). Nōmilu was formed within a natural volcanic caldera (cinder cone) when the island of Kauai was born approximately 5 million years ago. Legend has it that Nōmilu was formed when Pele, the Goddess of Fire, created the crater that is now the Nōmilu fishpond while she searched for a home on Kauai. Legends speak of Peleʻs sister, the sea Goddess Namakaokaha’i who flooded the crater with water, forcing Pele to leave. Before she left Kauai, Pele placed two supernatural eels, Puhi-‘ula and Puhi’pakapaka, to guard the fishpond.

You will find that there are two spellings for the property – Nōmilu and Nōmilo. Both names are used interchangeably – Nōmilu meaning – “swirling water”. Nōmilu was once considered a brackish water pond fed by several underground fresh water springs. Today Nōmilu is at the same salinity level as the ocean since the restoration of the natural ancient auwai (channel) in 2018 which connects the fishpond to the ocean. In the 1920’s a second auwai was created, a tunnel was dug through the west side of the pond cinder cone wall. Oral history from the Palama family documents that this connection to the ocean was hand dug by two Japanese fishermen who leased the property at that time. They created the100-foot tunnel that connects Nōmilu pond to the ocean and is still functioning today.

Adjacent to the south end of the fishpond is an area that contains a series of salt pans. It is said that every great chief who visited Kaua’I would visit Nōmilu and take salt from Nōmilu. Anyone gathering salt here would place salt offerings on leaves for Pele to ensure future yields would be bountiful. Philip Palama Sr. and his wife Hisako made and gathered salt from those beds during their lifetime. The salt they made was always “red salt” made by mixing the salt with red Alai dirt.

The salt beds are not the only evidence of ancient Hawaiians at Nōmilu. Several ancient stone structures around the fishpond are evidence that the Hawaiians lived and worked the fishpond. Stone walls that formed pens to hold livestock and stone terraces that would have been used to grow food are located at the back of the pond. There is also a unique stone structure that was built at the outlet of a fresh water spring that provides fresh water to the fishpond to this day. Walter McBryde, land baron and plantation owner – purchased the Nōmilu property from the Queen Emma estate. Philip Kauaiiki Palama Sr. and his wife Hisako Komaki Palama worked for Walter McBryde, Philip as McBryde’s chauffeur and valet and Hisako ran his kitchen, cooked for him and oversaw his housekeeping staff. Philip and Hisako lived at the McBryde estate located at Kukuiolono Park with their children Philip Palama Jr, Iris and Violet. They often spent family time at Nōmilu. Philip and Hisako were given the first right of refusal to purchase the Nōmilu parcel after Walter McBryde passed.

After the passing of Philip and Hisako, their three children took over the responsibilities of ownership of Nōmilu. Now four generations later, the family has continued stewardship of Nomilu keeping the property in its natural state. In 1989 Lynn Taylor, the eldest granddaughter of Philip and Hisako and her husband Thayne Taylor established a business entity called “Kauai Sea Farm” at Nōmilu. Hard shell clams (merceneria Merceneria) had been out planted at Nōmilu in the 1960’s as part of an experimental program spearheaded by the University of Hawaii. There were several sites chosen throughout the state for this project. Nōmilu was the only site where this species of clam thrived. Conditions at Nōmilu are ideal for raising shellfish with pristine water rich with micro-algae, the food source for the clams.

Lynn and Thayne not only harvested and marketed the clams to local restaurants and hotels on Kauai and to the other islands, they worked the pond, doing restoration projects. The pond had become infested with blue pincher crabs which are a predator to the clams. It took months of crabbing, setting 100 crab nets at a time around the perimeter of the pond to eliminate over a ton of blue pincher crabs.

Work was going well at Nomilu until it took a hard hit from Hurricane Iniki in 1992. This caused significant damage to the infrastructure that brought fresh seawater into Nōmilo. The hand-dug tunnel which was the main source of water at the time was completely obstructed.

In 2017, the family began significant restoration efforts, including clearing debris and rebuilding the auwai, removing invasive mangrove trees, reestablishing fresh water springs, all which soon revitalized the fishpond's ecosystem. Restoration projects have resulted in Nōmilu being restored to a fully functioning and healthy fishpond.

In 2021 reoccurring monthly community workdays were organized to help with the removal of invasive plants growing around the perimeter of the fishpond in conjunction with Hoomalukekai, a non-profit entity dedicated to marine conservation and restoration.

Kauai Sea Farm has not only been a growing business concern, the company has been host to scientists and students with interests in the field of aquaculture as well as the history and culture of ancient Hawaiian fishponds. To date KSF has participated in many scientific endeavors such as the spawning of a native Hawaiian sea cucumber. These efforts have the potential to create a new food source industry in the state – the sea cucumber being a delicacy especially in the Asian food marketplace.

The KSF facilities include a nursery/hatchery which allows for the spawning and rearing of “seed” clams which guarantees continued production of shellfish for market. The clams also spawn naturally in the fishpond and are harvested for market by using specialized “bull rakes”.

KSF also hosts the Kauai Coral Restoration Nursery and supports their endeavors to rejuvenate Kauaiʻs reefs, critically important to ensure a healthy ocean ecosystem.

Onomilu.org was formed in 2026 to manage and oversee future educational programs, scientific research projects and applicable programs at Nomilu.