A large crowd celebrates the arrival of the voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia in Papeete, Tahiti, on Sunday. Polynesian Voyaging Society/Jonathan “Sav” Salvador

The voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrived in Papeete, Tahiti, on Sunday to a celebration that brought many together to celebrate the landmark event at sea.

Accompanied by the Tahitian voyaging canoe Fa’afaite, a fleet of smaller canoes, paddlers and jet skis, the vessels sailed into the harbor in a moment that honored half a century of Hōkūleʻa’s legacy and the ancestral relationship between Hawaii and French Polynesia.

According to a news release, the event held even deeper meaning, as this arrival marked 49 years since Hōkūleʻa made her first historic voyage to Tahiti in June 1976, making landfall at the same spot in Papeete, which is now named Hōkūleʻa Beach.

The journey in 1976 ignited a cultural renaissance as it sought to prove Polynesians were skilled navigators who explored the vast Pacific Ocean using traditional wayfinding. On Sunday, Hōkūleʻa returned to the site where her legacy began nearly five decades ago.

The celebration included speeches by a variety of dignitaries and participants including Polynesian Voyaging Society CEO and navigator Nainoa Thompson, French Polynesia President Moetai Brotherson, Minister of Culture Ronny Teriipaia, Taimana Ellacott of Tainui, and members of Fa’afaite Te’au Ma’ohi.

The arrival followed a 21-day, 2,500-mile journey from Hilo and marked the official relaunch of the Moananuiākea voyage — a four-year circumnavigation of the Pacific.

The arrival in Papeete is a key stop on the 43,000-nautical-mile journey that is being led by the Polynesian Voyaging Society with support from communities throughout Polynesia.

For the latest updates on the voyage, go to www.hokulea.com.