The crew of Hawaii’s legendary Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa departed on March 10 from Rapa Nui as they continue on their Mālama Honua voyage and head to Pitcairn. Hokulea returns to the Pitcairn Islands for the first time since her voyage in 1999, when the canoe sailed around the Polynesian Triangle.

While in Rapa Nui, the crew worked alongside the Nahiku Student Delegation to help fulfill the mission of the Worldwide Voyage by connecting with the local community and representing Hawaiʻi. The Nahiku Student Delegation and Hōkūleʻa crew activities included meetings with both the Governor and Mayor of Rapa Nui, a visit to the Kupuna (elders) of Hare Koa Tiare Care Home, and a tour of Museo Rapa Nui. Hōkūleʻa was honored with a traditional landing ceremony on Anakena Beach, the site of historic seafaring welcomes for the small island community of Rapa Nui.

Hōkūleʻa’s next stop, the Pitcairn Islands, are a cluster of volcanic islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean forming the last British Overseas Territory in the Pacific. The area around Pitcairn Islands is one of the most pristine places on the Earth.

Following Pitcairn, Hōkūleʻa will head to the Marquesas Islands and to Tahiti, where she will be greeted by the local community in mid-April. From Tahiti, the crew will continue their journey home to Hawaiʻi and will be welcomed at Magic Island, on June 17, 2017.