This is known as the Polynesian Triangle

The Polynesian Triangle 995 parts water and 5 parts land More than 30 000 islands scattered across the Pacific Ocean. The ancestors of the Polynesians are believed to have taken a large voyage all the way to the Americas 1000 years ago where they found the sweet potato and brought it back.

Polynesian Ancestors In the 1990s, DNA analysis confirmed that the Polynesians are related to indigenous peoples of South-East Asia, including those of Taiwan. This shows that their ancestors probably came from Asia.

Polynesian Navigation Navigation: the science of plotting or planning the direction of a ship’s journey, or the journey of any other type of vehicle. The greatest skill of Polynesian navigators was their knowledge of the stars. Navigators would steer their canoes towards a star on the horizon, which is the place where the land or sea appears to meet the sky. 7 to 12 stars were sufficient for one night’s navigation for any voyage. The sun, moon, and the planets Venus and Jupiter, were all highly useful.

Compare the Polynesian star compass with a traditional compass Compare the Polynesian star compass with a traditional compass. What similarities and differences can you find?

Ocean swells, winds and clouds When skies became overcast the Polynesians used the direction of swells and winds to maintain their course. Sudden changes in the motion of the canoe would indicate that the canoe had changed course. The shape, movement and colour of clouds over land indicated that land was close by. Clouds over large islands build up during the day and are more stationary then clouds over the sea. The cloud base over forested islands is dark or green, pinkish cloud indicates a reef, and an especially bright cloud reflects off island lagoons making them easier to spot.

Other navigational tools Land-roosting birds that fly out to sea at sunrise to fish and return to their nests on land and sunset also signal land. Changes in the colour of the sea, fish species and ocean currents all told of land. The scent of land, the appearance of whirlpools, seaweed, driftwood, leaves, branches and other debris also told of land nearby.