Crew members of Hōkūle‘a – Hawai‘i’s iconic voyaging canoe – recently dove, explored and performed research in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, one of the richest, most complex and diverse ecosystems in the world.
During this leg of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines, the crew’s exploration of the Great Barrier Reef combined scientific and indigenous perspectives to understand the beauty and fragility of the world’s oceans and reef ecosystems. This furthered the voyage’s Mālama Honua mission: “Taking Care of our Island Earth.”
The crew’s journey continued in Townsville, north Queensland. Hōkūle‘a was docked behind the Reef HQ Aquarium, the world’s largest living reef aquarium renowned as the center of education for the Great Barrier Reef.
The aquarium hosted the first-ever Great Barrier Reef global underwater virtual field trip. Reef HQ scientists and Hōkūle‘a apprentice navigators Jenna Ishii and Haunani Kane served as guides during the underwater learning experience.
The crew also visited the Belgian Garden State School, where students ages 6 through 12 shared their knowledge of ocean life by leading a tour of their on-campus aquarium room.
Crew members also visited the school garden that houses native birds and aquaponic plants. At the end of the visit, the Worldwide Voyage crew members were impressed and inspired by the work and stories of Mālama Honua that these young “Guardians of the Reef” shared during the visit.
The crew continued their Great Barrier Reef dives upon reaching the city of Cairns, north of Townsville.
“It has been an amazing experience so far exploring the Great Barrier Reef and meeting all the people passionate about protecting it,” said Kane, a Hōkūle‘a crew member and KS Kapālama graduate.
“Although we’re all from different parts of the globe, the underlying theme of taking care of our natural resources genuinely connects us all.”
The canoe and her crew will continue north to Cooktown and meet with indigenous rangers who are official natural resource stewards of the area. From Cooktown, Hōkūle‘a will travel to the Torres Straits and across the top end of Australia to Darwin – its final port in Australia.
About the Voyage
The Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines, along with education sponsor Kamehameha Schools, began in Hawai‘i in 2013 and will return to its home port in 2017. It will cover over 60,000 nautical miles, 100 ports, and 27 nations. The goal of the voyage is to engage all of Island Earth by bridging traditional and new technologies to live sustainably; sharing, learning, and creating global relationships; and discovering the wonders of the world. Learn more about the voyage on the Polynesian Voyaging Society website.
Crewmembers of Hōkūle‘a – Hawai‘i’s iconic voyaging canoe – recently dove, explored and performed research in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's richest and most complex ecosystems.
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