The Amazing Navigators of the

Pacific Ocean
Polynesian explorers were master
sailors. They could sail across vast
distances of the Pacific Ocean
without any of the special tools and
equipment we have today.
These explorers used nature as their
guide. They used clues from stars, the
Sun, the Moon, ocean swells, birds,
wind and sea currents to figure out
where they were and where they
were travelling.
As grandmaster navigator Mau
Piailug once said, “If you can read
the ocean, you will never be lost.”
 Tirama, Tirama, Nga Whetu
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
At night the navigators used stars to find their way.
Polynesian navigators worked hard to memorise the locations of stars and
constellations and where they rose and set as the night went on.
Navigators could even remember the stars’ positions
as they changed over the seasons.
They created something called a star compass.
This was a memorised map of the location
of every star and constellation in their
region. They divided the star map into
four areas or quadrants. Each quadrant
was then divided into 32 smaller sections
or houses.
 Stick Charts, Movable Maps

Some navigators
created detailed stick
charts. These could be
held up against the
night sky to turn the
sky into a visual map.
This is a stick chart from the
Marshall Islands.
 The Southern Cross;
A Compass in the Sky
You may have heard of this
constellation. It is only visible
to people south of the
equator. Māori call this
constellation Te Pae
Māhutonga.
By drawing a line through
the top and bottom stars and
then making that line 4.5
times longer, we know which
way is south.
 The Sun and the Moon

The Sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. By paying attention
to sunrise and sunset, navigators could work out what direction they were
travelling in.
The Moon was a great backup
plan at night. If clouds or fog
blocked the view of the stars, the
Moon was often bright enough
to be still seen. The Moon reflects
light from the Sun, so the bright
side of the Moon faces toward
the Sun, even when the Sun
cannot be seen. This meant
navigators could use the Moon
to find out where the Sun was.
 Catching the Wind

Waka hourua were designed to catch the wind in the sails, pushing the
waka forward at speed, so knowledge of wind patterns was essential. A
skilled navigator had to know what winds to expect and what direction
they would come from. Using this knowledge, they set the course they
would sail.
 Up and Down and Side to Side
Ocean swells are different to waves. Swells are created by winds that could
be a long distance away. The energy from the wind moves into the ocean
water, pushing it up and away from the wind direction.
The navigators of the Pacific knew that most of the time, these winds came
from the north or south-east.
Ocean-going waka/vaka had wide, flat decks where the sailors stood. With
their bare feet, they could feel the direction of the swells moving under the
boat.
This helped them to work out the direction they were travelling.
Sometimes winds change direction, so navigators had to use ocean swells,
with other clues, to know their actual location.
Sunset and sunrise were the best time of the day to see the direction of
these swells because of the way the sunlight hit the water.
Up and Down and Side to Side
 Ocean Currents;
The Motorways of the Sea
An ocean current is a huge stream of
seawater that continuously moves in one
direction. Some currents are at the ocean
surface, while others run deep underwater.
There are many currents travelling the
world’s oceans. They are different from
waves and swells and are created by a
combination of temperature, gravity (tides),
wind and how salty the seawater is.
Polynesian navigators learned and
memorised where these currents were and
the direction they were heading. Riding an
ocean current could speed a journey up,
while trying to sail against the current
slowed the waka down.
 Ocean Currents;
The Motorways of the Sea
 Land Ahoy!

The navigators looked out for these clues that land was nearby.

Clouds usually hang above Lagoons could be reflected into

islands with mountains. the sky on a calm day.
 Land Ahoy!

The navigators looked out for these clues that land was nearby.

A storm could wash plants from

the land out into the ocean; Navigators could recognise
these plants did not usually waves made from water
travel too far from land. bouncing back off the land.
 Bird Buddies

Even birds who can fly long distances over the ocean
will always return to land.
Navigators recognised different birds; they knew
which birds could fly long distances and which
would stay close to land.
Migrating birds such as the Campbell Albatross
migrate north to the warm Pacific Islands
before returning south again. Navigators knew
the patterns of these birds and could use their
flight patterns to point toward land.
Seabirds came out to the ocean to fish during the
day then returned home at night. Navigators could
follow these birds and find land.
 Recap!

stars cyclone handheld compass

clouds
telescope
migrating birds memorised star compass
wind
lightning rain
air horn Sun

stick chart currents

walkie talkie life jacket
Moon
waves
T.V. radio hat

hand-drawn map shorebirds

cow shoes
How quickly can you find the Polynesian
navigation tools in this word jumble?
 Imagine You Are The Navigator!

What could
go wrong?
What could the journey What could help the
be like in either of navigators reach
these scenarios? their destination?