Wā ‘Akahi

Kupekala
Ke Keiki

Hānau ka Naka,
‘o ke Kupekala kāna keiki, puka

First Epic

Kupekala
The Child

A Naka gives birth,
a Kupekala emerges

No ke Koholā Hiamoe

Na Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

Ma ke kai hohonu o ka Pākīpika i noho ai kekahi koholā kahiko a ‘ūlōlohi. I kekahi lā, ua mana‘o ke koholā e hiamoe no kekahi manawa pōkole. No laila pani ‘o ia i nā maka nunui ona a hiamoe ‘o ia me ka lana pū ma luna o ka ‘ili o ke kai.

Hala koke kekahi mau hola a mau lā ma muli o kona hiamoe ‘ana, a laila kekahi mahina a makahiki. I ko ke koholā hiamoe ‘ana, ua ho‘omaka ka limu e ola ma luna ona me nā ‘a‘ama, nā ‘opihi a me nā kupekala.

Ma hope pono o kēia, ua lana maila kekahi niu ma kahi o ke koholā a ulu a‘ela ‘o ia ma luna o ke kua, he nui a hiwahiwa kona ‘ano. I kekahi mau makahiki ma hope o ka ulu ‘ana o ke kumu niu a nui. Ua ulu pū kekahi mau kumu niu li‘ili‘i ‘ē a‘e. Ua like loa ka nānā ‘ana o ke kua o ke koholā me kekahi mokupuni li‘ili‘i.

Mau nō ka hiamoe o kēia mokupuni a ke lana nei kēia koholā a puni loa o ka moana Pākīpika. Inā ‘ike ‘oe i kēia mokupuni e lana ana ma loko o ke kai mai pani ‘oe i kou maka no ka mea ke wehe hou ‘a‘ole e ‘ike ana i ka mokupuni ma laila. I kekahi lā e ala hou mai paha ke koholā a ha‘i i ka mo‘olelo o nā moe ‘uhane hoihoi āna i ‘ike ai ma kona hiamoe ‘ana.

The Sleeping Whale

By Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

In the deep sea of the Pacific there lived an old and slow whale. One day, the whale thought to take a short nap, so he closed his big eyes and slept while floating on the top of the ocean surface.

Hours quickly go by, and days go by because he is still sleeping and then months and years go by. While the whale was sleeping, limu started to grow on his body, as well as the ‘a‘ama crabs, the ‘opihi and the kupekala.

Immediately after this event, a coconut floated close to the whale and started to grow on top of his back, it was tall and grand to look upon. A few years after the tree started to grow a lot of other small coconut trees started to sprout. The back of the whale looked just like it was a small island.

This island is still sleeping and floating all over the Pacific Ocean. If you see this island floating in the sea, don’t close your eyes because when you open them again you won’t see the island there. One day the whale might just wake up and tell the tale of all the interesting dreams he had while he was sleeping.

Kekahi ‘Ike Hou A‘e

Inoa Hawai‘i: Kupekala

Inoa Pelekānia: Rock Oyster

Inoa ‘Epekema: Chama macerophylla

Kona ‘ano: He pūpū kalakoa a ikaika kēia. He mau huluhulu ko kēia pūpū. ‘O ka hapa nui o ka manawa he melemele a ‘alani akā i kekahi manawa he ‘ākala a ke‘oke‘o ka pūpū. ‘O ka ma‘amau, ulu kēia pūpū a 10 kenimaka kona lō‘ihi. ‘Ike ‘ia ke kupekala ma Pu‘uloa, O‘ahu a me nā ‘āina Kalepiana.

‘Ikepili Hoihoi: ‘A‘ole makemake ‘ia kēia pūpū no ka mea noho pa‘a ‘o ia ma luna o nā kā‘ele o ka moku. Inā makemake e wehe ‘ia kēia mau mea, pono e wehe ‘ia me ka hāmale a me ke kila.

More Information

Hawaiian Name: Kupekala

English Name: Rock Oyster

Scientific Name: Chama macerophylla

Description: This is a strong and colorful shell. This shell also has hair. Half of the time this shell is yellow and orange and sometimes it is pink and white. On average this shell can grow up to 10 centimeters. The kupekala has been seen at Pu‘uloa, O‘ahu and some islands in the Caribbean.

Interesting Fact: This shell isn’t liked because it attaches itself to the hulls of ships. To remove this oyster, it needs to be removed with a chisel and a hammer.