Polynesian Voyaging Society pushes Moananuiākea Voyage to 2028 over El Niño risks

The Polynesian Voyaging Society announced a revised schedule for the Western Pacific leg of its Moananuiākea Voyage, adding one year to the itinerary because of an elevated El Niño forecast. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center projects a 97% chance that El Niño conditions will persist through spring 2027 and an 81% chance of a very strong event from October to December 2026, raising the risk of typhoons, thunderstorms and hazardous sailing conditions.

To protect crew safety, the society decided the voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia will remain in the southern Pacific instead of heading to Hokkaido, Japan in 2027, and will aim for Northeast Asia in 2028. The canoes, currently docked in New Zealand, will stop in Fiji in October 2026 for Pre‑COP climate meetings and will make further visits to New Zealand, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia before the extended leg.

PVS CEO and Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson emphasized the need to respect extreme weather, noting that “the winds are not going to be in our favor” and that the crew must follow nature’s guidance.