Meet the Polynesian Voyaging Society

Founded on a legacy of Pacific Ocean exploration, the Polynesian Voyaging Society seeks to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through experiential educational programs that inspire students and their communities to respect and care for themselves, each other, and their natural and cultural environments. Take a look at this magnificent ship and her bold expeditions across the open ocean.

May 27, 2021

By: The Explorers Club and Discovery

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Seas the day. As Hōkūleʻa sails across the ocean, her crewmembers are on a mission to inspire the global community to take up a unified and collaborative approach to the environmental challenges we face.

The Hōkūleʻa is a performance-accurate waʻa kaulua, a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. She was launched on 8 March 1975 by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and known for being exclusively navigated with Polynesian techniques.

Hōkūle‘a’s first voyage from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti was a tremendous success. The Tahitians have great traditions and genealogies of ancestral canoes and navigators.

Hōkūleʻa began as a dream of reviving the legacy of exploration, courage, and ingenuity that brought the first Polynesians to the archipelago of Hawaiʻi.

The canoes that brought the first Hawaiians to their island home had disappeared and this piece of culture had felt dangerously close to extinction. Though more than 600 years had passed since the last of these canoes had been seen, this dream brought together people of diverse backgrounds and professions.

The ship is more than a voyaging canoe—she represents a strong desire shared by the people of Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and the world to protect the most cherished values and precious places from disappearing. The voyagers aboard discover stories of hope and mālama honua, "to care for our earth," from communities and leaders who are compelling innovative solutions around the world.

With each of her voyages, Hōkūle‘a brings revelations of history - how ancestors navigated across open ocean, found islands, and settled Polynesia.

Ultimately, this magnificent ship is a story of survival, rediscovery, and the restoration of pride and dignity. It serves as an example for the world as populations struggle with the ability to live in balance with our island that we call Earth.