Life is in the Clouds

Posted on 12 Jun 2014
In Crew Blogs, Photo Galleries

This post was written by Haunani Kane.

Aia i ka ʻōpua ke ola; he ola nui, he ola laulā, he ola hohonu, he ola kiʻekiʻe.
Life is in the clouds; great life, broad life, deep life, elevated life.

After about a week out at sea we are now on the edge of the doldrums. Two tiny waʻa surrounded by an endless expanse of midnight blue ocean and towering clouds. Sailing from squall to squall it is through observation that we are learning how to best approach each storm. We shift our weight forward, turn up and let the worst of the rain and wind pass in front of us, or we may race ahead of the squall and let it pass behind us. Nainoa tells us to look for the door in each squall, the puka of light on the other side that leads to better weather.

On Hikianalia we are blending the lessons of our teachers with modern technology to better understand and observe each of the oceans that we visit. Through partnerships with the University of Hawaii, Kahi Kai, MIT, and 5Gyres, we have designed projects that engage both crew members and local communities to actively take a role in better understanding the health of our oceans. Crew members will analyze the stomach contents of fish caught on the wa’a, record water quality, document marine debris, sample plankton, and use hydroponic technology to grow fresh greens. To learn more about the science at sea projects visit Hōkūle’a and Hikianalia science at sea: http://learningcenter.hokulea.com/education-at-sea/science-at-sea/