Today the harbor anchors a living community. Pearl City and ʻAiea climb the slopes above the East Loch, the old ʻEwa lands still carry families who have called these shores home for generations, and the name Puʻuloa belongs first to a Hawaiian place — a garland of harbors, the waters of pearl — long before it belonged to history. Our designs carry that older, deeper name with pride.
The harbor's other ancient name tells you what made it rich. Hawaiians called it Wai Momi, “the waters of pearl,” for the beds of pipi — native pearl oysters — that once carpeted its shallows. The momi (pearls) inside meant little to those who gathered them; it was the oyster itself, eaten fresh or dried, and the bright mother-of-pearl shell, carved into fishhooks and ornaments, that made Wai Momi a place of plenty. A third name, Puʻuloa, “long hill,” marked the low ridge of land that framed the water. Pearl, garland, long hill — three names for one place, each older than the harbor's later fame.
