Worldwide Voyage: What Guides Us
A plaque sits in the aft hatch of the wa‘a (canoe) and memorializes all those who committed themselves and their lives to the legacy of the wa‘a. These men and women sacrificed, so that we could be here today, sailing…
The Beacon Pele Spared—Kumukahi Lighthouse
By Denise Laitinen Legend has it that Chief Kumukahi, who resided in Kapoho, was competing in hōlua (Hawaiian sled) races when he mocked Pele who had disguised herself as a beautiful woman. Pele’s wrath was swift and destructive. She chased…
Worldwide Voyage: Celebrating 40 Years of the Hōkūle‘a
In 1976 the Hōkūle‘a weighed 26 tons. After being refurbished for three years before the WWV began, it now weighs 12 tons. The first trip in 1976 took 34 days. In 2014, the first leg of the WWV, from Hilo…
Wai‘ōpae Tide Pools in Puna: Unique Ecosystem Under Siege
By Denise Laitinen A secluded coastline where bright tropical fish swim in calm, azure blue waters. Even the neighborhood overlooking this peaceful setting conjures images of paradise. Its siren call is hard to resist. Vacationland. Located along the Puna coastline…
Navigating From the Na‘au: Worldwide Voyage Update with Celeste Ha‘o
Navigating From the Na‘au By Le‘a Gleason In the car on the way to meet Celeste Ha‘o, navigator of the Hōkūle‘a, I wonder if I might cry during our interview. Some people just wear certain integrity on the outside, and…
Voices of the Bamboo: The ‘Ohe Hano Ihu, Hawaiian Nose Flute
By Leilehua Yuen The ‘ohe hano ihu, or bamboo nose flute, is found on many island groups in the Pacific. In Hawai‘i, it is considered a sweetheart’s instrument. It is not a loud instrument; rather, the tone is intended to…
Pacific Tsunami Museum: Promoting Awareness and Research
By Alan D. McNarie It was April of 1946, and U.S.S. LST-731 was on her way home. In the three previous years, she’d pushed her huge bow doors up against the shores of Guam and Iwo Jima to unload tanks…
Worldwide Voyage Update: What Guides Us
By Pomai Bertelmann In many ways he is the kaula—the rope that binds, the man who possesses many intuitive skills. He is one of a few who can harness the energies of the ocean, land, and sky and center them…
Worldwide Voyage Update: Time for a Cool Change
In one breath, we are reminded that we are kanaka honua, men of the land, and that there is a point after our time on the ocean when we must return home. These reminders—the anchor of Kupe, the dunes that…
Worldwide Voyage Update–Mālama Honua
‘Ike Hawai‘i: ‘Sense of Place, Sense of Identity’ Mālama Honua Take Care of the Earth “Mālama Island Earth—Our Natural Environment, Children, and All Humankind” Kaulana e ka holo o Hōkūle‘a I ka ‘ale ī I ka ‘ale moe I ka…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Fair Wind Big Island Ocean Guides
The beginning of Fair Wind Big Island Ocean Guides is a recognizable one. The family-owned company was started by Michael and Janet Dant, when they built their first boat in 1969 in Monterey, California, and planned a trip through the…
World Wide Voyage–Threads That Tie: The Hōkūle‘a Crew Connecting Hawaiian Culture to the World
By Le‘a Gleason Hawai‘i is a place where we navigate community and culture, finding a delicate balance between reverence for the past and enthusiasm for the future. It’s with this same careful attention to culture that we watch from afar…
Wa‘a Hoena: Outrigger Canoe Paddling–Bonding through Lōkahi (Unity) and Mo‘olelo (Tradition)
By Alan D. McNarie Septuagenarian (in his seventies) Rafael Ramirez still vividly remembers the first time he set a paddle in the water. “I paddled out and saw the reef and saw the fish, and I paddled back and said,…
World Wide Voyage: Wayfinding Around ‘Island’ Earth, Provisioning the Wa‘a
By Margaret Kearns E Lauhoe mai na wa‘a; i ke ka, i ka hoe, i ka hoe, i ke ka; pae aku i ka‘aina. Everybody paddle the canoes together; bail and paddle, paddle and bail, and the shore will be…
Swimming with Spinners: Plunging into the Swim-with-Dolphins Industry
By Gabrielle Gray and Lindsay Brown Leaping out of the serene Pacific and thrusting their smooth, graceful bodies into the unsuspecting air, Hawaiian spinner dolphins’ aerial acrobatics are one of the most spectacular displays to witness in Hawai‘i. Hawai‘i companies…
Mālama Honua—Care for the Earth: The Worldwide Voyage of the Hōkūle‘a and the Hikianalia
By Keith Nealy It is no surprise to the majority of people in the world that our planet is suffering from climate change; the depletion of natural resources; the degradation of our land, sea and air—conflicts that result from overconsumption…
Kūpuna Talk Story: Herb Kawainui Kāne, Father of the Hawaiian Renaissance
By Keith Nealy As a filmmaker and storyteller, I have been blessed with the gift of sharing the mana‘o (knowledge) of more than 60 of Hawai‘i’s most revered kūpuna in spirited conversations exploring the cultural legacy they carry in their…
Then & Now: Hawai‘i & Leviathan–The Fascinating Tale of Whaling Ships on Hawai‘i Island
By Pete Hendricks They had been swimming the Pacific Ocean for millennia. As humans extended their reach eastward, southward, and northward across the great ocean, leviathan and Polynesian often crossed paths. Thus, the first Polynesians to populate Hawai‘i incorporated the…
A Brief History of Whales in Hawai‘i
By Peter T. Young The koholā (humpback whale) was well known to the early Hawaiians. In the Kumulipo chant—the Hawaiian chant of creation—the Second Era speaks of the birth of the whale: “Hanau ka palaoa noho I kai”—born is the whale…
Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery: Hawaii Adds Second Marine Facility to Protect One of Its Rarest Mammals
By Denise Laitinen In 2009 when KP2 (Kauai Pup 2), an orphaned Hawaiian monk seal in waters off Moloka‘i needed medical attention, he was transported roughly 2,500 miles to the University of California Santa Cruz Long Marine Laboratory for care…
Freeing Willy, Hawaiian Style: Hawai‘i Island’s Whale Entanglement Response Network
By Cynthia Sweeney More than 10,000 humpback whales migrate to the Hawaiian Islands each year, mostly from Alaska, to give birth. And it is estimated that 30 percent of those whales, adults as well as calves—have been entangled in fishing…
Immersion with a Mermaid: This Kona Marine Mammal Has a True Tale to Tell
By Marya Mann In a challenge so unifying it has inspired global support among indigenous people, surfers, artists, marine scientists, models, musicians, boat captains, photographers, filmmakers, businesspeople, angel card readers and even Flipper’s original trainer, one Kona resident stands out.…
Hands On, Minds Ahead! All Aboard Bluewater Exploration
By Fern Gavelek “Throughout the course of human events, mankind’s impacts on the environment have stressed the carrying capacity of our ocean, thus ruining the essence of why we love and enjoy areas such as the Keauhou-Kona coast. Experience has…
Search for the Heart of Kahalu‘u: E mālama i Nā Papa–Protect Our Coral Reefs
By Marya Mann It’s a courtship by the sea, except we’re sitting in a Bakken Foundation classroom north of Kailua-Kona, where ReefTeach trainers show color slides of brilliant and broken corals that flourish and die in Kahalu‘u Bay. They want…
The Story of “Lefty” the Sea Turtle
By Margaret Kearns Green sea turtles (honu in Hawaiian) are among Hawai‘i’s most popular, positively charming marine creatures. Revered by ancient Hawaiians, one legend tells the story of a mystical honu, Kauila, who resided in the waters off Hawai‘i Island.…
Treasures from the Sea: A Unique Farmers’ Market Comes to Kona
By Devany Vickery-Davidson Looking for live crabs and lobster? How about some local sea salt? Abalone? A free cooking class? Get the cooler out and head to NELHA! On the last Friday of each month Hawai’i Island residents are afforded…
Fluid Ocean Portraits: Victoria McCormick’s Images Reflect a Trusting Relationship with Marine Creatures
By Marya Mann Dances with the Ocean Heavenly light filters through the ocean surface into the underwater world, birthplace of life on Earth. Fine art photographer Victoria McCormick slips into this liquid womb of coral reef and eagle rays, swimming…
