Polynesian navigators crossed thousands of kilometers of open ocean without GPS, compasses, or maps — using only the stars, waves, birds, and clouds. This required incredible mathematical thinking, pattern recognition, and memory.
The ancestors of Māori made one of the longest ocean voyages in human history to reach Aotearoa!
Memorizing where 200+ stars rise and set on the horizon to determine direction.
Reading ocean swells and reflections off islands to find land.
Following birds that fly to and from land at dawn and dusk.
Clouds form and change color over land differently than over open ocean.
Pleiades — marks Māori New Year
Southern Cross — anchor of the waka
Antares — summer star
Canopus — solitary star of navigation
The cluster of Matariki (9 stars)
Southern Cross pointer stars
To find true south using the Southern Cross:
Calculation: If the cross is 6° across, you extend 6 × 4.5 = 27° to find the celestial south pole.
The angle of the Southern Cross above the horizon tells you your latitude:
Navigators tracked:
All calculated in their heads during voyages lasting weeks!
The Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hōkūle'a was launched in 1975 to prove that traditional navigation was real and accurate. Since then:
On a clear night, go outside and:
A waka travels at 10 km/h for 12 hours heading east, then turns south and travels 8 hours at the same speed. How far are they from their starting point? (Use Pythagoras!)
My calculation: