The ocean is an essential part of the history, culture and everyday life in French Polynesia. The first Europeans who visited these islands in the 16th century were surprised to find anyone living there. They were even more surprised when they discovered that the Polynesians did not have ocean-going ships, navigational instruments, or even metal. Since the languages spoken on different Polynesian islands were nearly identical, it seemed obvious that the Polynesian ancestors must have been able to make ocean voyages over long distances. But no one could explain how they could have sailed and navigated over 10 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean.

Finally, in 1973, the Polynesian Voyaging Society was founded to explain the mystery. Since then, the Society has built replicas of ancient canoes and completed several voyages in the South Pacific that prove these vessels are capable of long-distance ocean travel. These voyages were made using ancient methods of navigation known as wayfinding, and have shown that ancestors of modern day Polynesians had unique technologies that allowed them to explore and settle Tahiti and its neighboring islands.

You can find out more about wayfinding, descriptions of canoes, and Polynesian migrations at the Polynesian Voyaging Society Web site: Link >>

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