In August 2024, an all-female Indigenous crew arrived in Tonga aboard the Hinemoana II, a double-hulled vaka (traditional voyaging canoe) which had been recovered and fully restored by Conservation International in partnership with the Tonga Voyaging Society and Māori Tribe, Te Whānau a Apanui. 

Recovered from the Marshall Islands where it ha d been grounded due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the vaka had been transported to Aotearoa, New Zealand, where it was painstakingly restored by a group of Indigenous women from Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands and New Zealand, with financial support and guidance from Conservation International.  

The vessel now stands as a powerful symbol of Indigenous maritime heritage, embodying the values of stewardship and environmental leadership across the Pacific Ocean. 

Helmed by co-captains Aunofo Havea Funaki, the first Tongan woman to become a licensed sea captain, and Fealofani Bruun, Samoa’s first female yachtmaster, the Hinemoana II sailed across the Pacific carrying a message of Indigenous ocean stewardship.  

The Hinemoana II serves a dual purpose

It will play a key role in our whale monitoring project, and provide a platform to nurture young leaders. By blending traditional navigation skills with modern conservation efforts, this initiative empowers future generations to protect and cherish their ocean legacy.   

The restoration and gifting of the vaka by Conservation Interntional fosters greater collaboration between the Indigenous Māori and Pacific peoples.  

This effort is linked to the Hinemoana Halo Initiative – our partnership with Māori to provide ocean protection and climate leadership in coordination with Pacific leaders from across the region.   

The connection between the Indigenous Peoples the ocean and whales has been a cornerstone of the Hinemoana II vaka restoration and sailing. 

The restoration and voyage promotes ocean guardianship and highlights the importance of Indigenous stewardship of biodiversity and ocean restoration efforts.

The vaka's route follows and honours whale migration, linking cultural heritage with wise ocean stewardship. Onboard, the crew are trained in science practices to conduct vital whale and ocean-based research and monitoring, that support local conservation efforts which align to the Hinemoana Halo initiative and the declaration to secure legal personhood for whales. Additionally, the vessel will promote a sustainable whale-watching eco-tourism economy.

Establishing the world's largest Indigenous-led customary marine managed area

Hinemoana Halo aims to establish the world’s largest Indigenous-led customary marine managed area, while promoting biodiversity protection and coastal restoration. The Hinemoana Halo initiative also supports He Whakaputanga Moana (Declaration for the Ocean) to protect whales and recognize them as legal persons, proposed by the late Māori King Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII and signed by Indigenous leaders earlier this year. 

Iwi (Māori tribes) and the House of Ariki of the Cook Islands, at the inaugural Hinemoana Halo Ocean Summit in Gisborne, Aotearoa. © Teresa Wells

Learn more at https://www.conservation.org/aotearoa/hinemoana-halo