Sun, Stars, Swells: Sailing the Globe Using Nothing but Nature

Hawai’i—possibly the most remote island chain on the planet—was discovered hundreds of years ago by Polynesian voyagers in canoes. These ancient explorers relied exclusively upon their knowledge of the stars, bird behavior, and ocean swell patterns to find speckles of land.

Today, the modern descendants of these explorers are circumnavigating the world’s oceans using the same techniques.

This story is a part of Great Big Story Planet Earth series. Great Big Story is a video network dedicated to the untold, overlooked & flat-out amazing. Humans (and sailors) are capable of incredible things & we’re here to tell their stories. When a rocket lands in your backyard, you get in.

Hawai’i—possibly the most remote island chain on the planet—was discovered hundreds of years ago by Polynesian voyagers wayfinding in canoes. These ancient explorers relied exclusively upon their knowledge of the stars, bird behavior, and ocean swell patterns to find speckles of land. Today, the modern descendants of these explorers are circumnavigating the world’s oceans using the same wayfinding techniques.