Timeline
VAKA building starts
End of architecture design / study and VAKA building starts (Sulawesi, Indonesia)
Borneo to the Philippines: relive the first prehistoric crossings by raft.
- Building of the VAKA
- Borneo/Philippines : re-enactment of the first prehistoric 60 km bamboo raft crossing to the Philippines (60 km), with the participation of a paddleboard champion.
First Humans of the Philippines
- Building the VAKA
- Encounter with the Tau't Batu, "the people of the rocks" of the Philippines.
Our first Vaka sails to the Palaos.
- Building of the VAKA
- Lauching of the VAKA HAMA TAFUA
- Sailing to Micronesia
- Stopovers in the Palau Islands, in the heart of one of the most effective marine reserves in the Pacific. Discussions with the local managers of this marine reserve, the 6th largest in the world.
Arrival in Micronesia: First traditional teachings: ecology and navigation.
- The 5 other VAKA are still in building process
- Arrival in Satawal, Carolinas, Micronesia, the last place where traditional navigation is taught.
- Teachings,
- Preservation of island areas on the
West Fayu "taboo" island : our scientists exchange and collect information on this traditional Micronesian sustainable management...
While the other Vakas are launched, our crews learn how to live self-sufficently
- Launching of the 5 other Vakas
- Traditional departure ceremonies
- Micronesia: Learning to live and survive in an isolated island environment.
- Learning traditional fishing
- Pwo ceremony for the enthronement of young Navigators.
The 6 VAKAs set sail to conquer the Pacific. 1st stage: the Great Barrier Reef.
- Departure from Australia with the 5 other Vaka.
- Experimental archaeology: traditional navigations, (following stars, winds, current...),
guided by our Micronesian, Polynesian and Hawaiian Master navigators.
- Only traditional fishing will now feed the expedition.
- The Great Barrier Reef: how coral can survive.
- Awareness actions with the Australian educational authorities.
Winter break and trainings
Torres Strait Aborigines encounter, Navigation to Papua: understanding and following the marine fauna to find a land.
- Australia, Torres Strait: learning to live with predators. Teachings by Torres Strait Aborigines: sea crocodiles.
- Sailing to Papua: working with traditional shark callers on shark conservation and with Sandra Bessudo,
- Tracking marine wildlife to find land.
Trobriands and Solomon islands : re-establish a connection between land and ocean
- Trobriand Islands: secret of fertility and survival of the Trobrianders, sustainable horticulture. Yam ceremony, fertility ceremonies.
- Introduction to plant conservation by the Trobrianders: food autonomy on board the VAKA
- Solomon Islands: learning traditional VAKA maintenance with the last Tahuna Vaka.
- Awareness actions
Vanuatu then New Caledonia: settlement of the 1st MOANA NUI eco-site.
- Heading to Vanuatu accompanied by traditional Te Puke canoes: ritual excha- nge of land/sea knowledge, volcano of the Nagasai people
Awareness-raising actions.
- New Caledonia: Coral Sea Park UNESCO :
SETTLEMENT OF THE FIRST MOANA NUI ECO-SITE
- Inauguration
- Collaboration between scientists and traditional knowledge bearers: study and demonstration of traditional New Caledonian management of island and ocean areas.
- Awareness-raising action
- Conference
Samoa, Wallis : work with traditional fishermen and divers. How to maintain biodiversity.
Part of the fleet sails to Samoa:
PAKA O AMERICA SAMOA National Park: traditional pharmacopoeia studies.
Management of the Park in island/ocean interaction.
- Work with Samoan "master fishermen".
- Comparison of freediving/fishing techniques with Guillaume Nery, world champion in freediving.
- The other part of the fleet sails to Wallis and then to Fiji.
- Wallis, work and study with the Wallisian "master fishermen", biodiversity management techniques.
Fiji: preparation and settlement of the 2nd MOANA NUI eco-site. Conferences and awareness-raising actions.
FIDJI :
- SETTLEMENT OF THE SECOND MOANA NUI ECO-SITE
- REPORT ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE EXPEDITION:
Research, site analysis, survival shelter building, identification of fishing and horticulture areas, fishponds.
- Inauguration of the site
- Collaboration between scientists and Fijian/Melanesian traditional knowledge bearers: Implementation, study and demonstration of traditional management of island and ocean areas.
- Awareness-raising activities
- conference
Cook islands, then French Polynesia : the 3rd eco-site is set up, thanks to the science/tradition specialists
- Sailing to the Cook Islands and French Polynesia (Society, Tuamotu)
- Awareness-raising action
- Monitoring of whale migrations
FRENCH POLYNESIA :
SETTING UP OF THE THIRD MOANA NUI ECO-SITE (Moorea and/or Fakarava UNESCO site)
Inauguration of the site.
- Collaboration between scientists and holders of traditional Polynesian knowledge:
Implementation, study and demonstration of traditional management of island and ocean areas.
Winter break
-Winter break.
- Vaka maintenance
French Polynesia: study / implementation of the Hawaiian Ahupua’a concept of traditional management of island and ocean protected areas. Awareness action: protection of turtles and sea birds.
FRENCH POLYNESIA:
Introduction/study of the Hawaiian Ahupua'a concept of traditional management of island and ocean protected areas.
- Awareness-raising action
- Protection of sea turtles.
- Protection of seabird sites
Rurutu, Marquesas islands : always further into polynesian culture and ecology
- Part of the expedition heads to Rurutu, home of the humpback whales and the Polynesian myth of Paikea.
- Sailing to the Marquesas
Sustainable management of tuna reserves, Marquesas environmental specificities.
- Awareness-raising activities.
Hawaii : sailing to the Papahānaumokuākea marine reserve, example of effective science/tradition working together
Sailing to Hawaii, welcome by the Hokule'a canoe, tour of the Hawaiian Islands, meeting and studying with scientists and traditional Hawaiian knowledge bearers.
Awareness-raising activities in collaboration with Hawaiian educational and traditional authorities.
- En route to the world's largest marine protected area Papahānaumokuākea national park, a model of cooperation between traditional and modern management.
- Return to Oahu (Hawaii), conference and closing ceremonies of the MOANA NUI Odyssey.
MOANA NUI is sailing toward the OSAKA World Expo 2025.
The Odyssey MOANA NUI will travel to the World Expo 2025 in OSAKA, Japan, where it will carry its values and concept of protecting the world's oceans.