Today, heiau help us to understand the lifestyle of those who lived in the area and the traditions they followed. Spiritual ceremonies would have taken place at heiau, hence today we pay special attention to these vestiges and honor them by acknowledging their place in Hawai‘i’s history and the place they hold in our lives today. This heiau is dedicated to fishing. Kūpuna that lived in this area tell the story of how the men would give offerings to Kanikanikaula after they came back from “holoholo” (word used when going fishing, instead of saying "fishing"). The offering was a ho'okipa (gift), a gesture of gratitude for the provisions the families received from the bay. The offering would consist of fish as well as other items deemed suitable by the gentleman who was responsible for the ho'okupu. The offering was placed on the heiau or taken to the ocean. (Reference: Kūpuna Lily Ha‘anio Kong 2008) The Kūpuna recall that the fish: akule,‘uhu,  aweoweo, upapalu, weke, nenue and menpache were plentiful in this bay.