Voyage Updates
Crew Reflection: This Experience In One Word – Life Changing.
To sum up this experience in one word: life changing. The things I saw, the
relationships I built, and the experiences I had have forever changed me as a person for the
better. It was a once in a thousand lifetimes kind of experience, and I am forever grateful to
have been a part of it.
Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia Arrive in Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Yesterday morning at 8:00 a.m., Polynesian voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrived at Avatiu Harbor in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Their last visit to Rarotonga was in 2014 during the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage. The canoes cleared customs shortly after sunrise...
Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia Depart French Polynesia for the Cook Islands
After more than a week of preparing the canoes and waiting for a favorable weather window, the voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia departed Bora Bora yesterday and are now bound for Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Depending on weather conditions, the canoes could...
Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia Arrive in Bora Bora
Polynesian voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrived in Bora Bora on August 9 after a two-day sail from Tautira, Tahiti. Bora Bora is the final port of call in French Polynesia before continuing on to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. The canoes departed Tautira,...
Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia Return to Papeʻetē for Canoe Preparations and Crew Change
Since departing Moʻorea on Monday, July 14, the voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia have been back in Papeʻetē, Tahiti to rest, replenish, and prepare for their next leg of the Moananuiākea Voyage. While in Papeʻetē, crews conducted a deep clean of both canoes,...
Crew Reflection: They Gave Earth Its Breath, Hā, Laying the Foundation for All Life That Would Follow.
It was an immense pleasure and privilege to share my knowledge and enthusiasm for planktonic ocean life with the crew members of Leg 13 and the communities we engaged with. As part of the educational partnership between PVS and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), I collected samples for various studies throughout the journey.
Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia Arrive in Moʻorea, to a Week of Cultural Engagements
Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia continued the French Polynesia leg of the Moananuiākea Voyage and 50th birthday celebrations of Hōkūleʻa this past week, sailing from the island of Tahiti to Moʻorea to deepen cultural ties and spark dialogue around ocean protection. After four...
Crew Reflection: Moʻorea
The night before our departure to Mo’orea, a quiet sense of heaviness settled over the crew and the community as we gathered for a final dinner in Mataiea. In just a short time, we had been embraced, cared for, and made to feel like family by our new ʻohana. The memories we created and the experiences we shared during our brief stay had left a deep imprint. Mataiea would forever live in each of our hearts.
Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia Visit Mataiea, Tahiti for Cultural Reconnection and Youth Engagement
Following their historic arrival in Papeʻetē on June 28, Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia hosted dozens of schoolchildren, families, and community members aboard the canoes. This week, the crew of both canoes resumed their journey through the islands of French Polynesia,...
Crew Reflection: Mataiea Is Full of So Much Passion, Aloha, Laughter, and Makana
Mataiea is full of so much passion, aloha, laughter, and makana. We are already feeling sadness about leaving this incredibly special place, a place where they unapologetically hold onto their traditions, their language, their songs, and their distant Paoa relatives as well as the canoe that brought us to them. We will forever be changed by this place.
Crew Reflection: Papeʻetē
As soon as we arrived in Papeʻete and made it to where Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia were docked, we were greeted by Faʻafaite crew members with, “Welcome home.” I didn’t think much of it at the time, I just knew that this was a very special time to be in Tahiti - the time...
Thousands Gather in Papeʻetē to Celebrate the Arrival of Hōkūleʻa, Hikianalia, and the 50th Anniversary of Hōkūleʻa
Voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrived in Papeʻetē on June 28th to a breathtaking celebration that brought together thousands of people from across Tahiti, Hawaiʻi, and beyond. Accompanied by Tahitian voyaging canoe Fa‘afaite, a fleet of smaller canoes,...