Paikea is a notable ancestor who originated in Hawaiki according to Māori tradition. He is particularly known to tribes with origins in the Gisborne District such as Ngāti Porou, and Ngāi Tahu. [1] Paikea is the name assumed by Kahutia-te-rangi because he was assisted by a whale to survive an attempt on his life by his half-brother Ruatapu.

Paikea was an important ancestor of the Māori tribes in Uawa (Tolaga Bay) on the East Coast of the North Island of Aotearoa (New Zealand). He survived a marine disaster in the ancient Hawaiki homeland of the Māori in the Pacific Ocean, by invoking, through incantation, the denizens of the deep sea to come to his rescue and take him ashore.

Paikea. A very famous hero or demigod of ancient days. The legends are, however, confusing and contradictory. He was the ancestor of all New Zealand Māori. 1 Paikea was an ariki, i.e. a priest-chief, in Hawaiki, and was invited by Rua-tapu into the fatal canoe, in which one hundred and forty first-born chiefs of houses were also decoyed. After ...

The story of Paikea and her Whale Guardian is a deeply personal tale from Maori lore. It beautifully captures the bond between an ancestor and their descendants, using the whale as a symbol of protection and wisdom passed down through generations.

In the Cook Islands, says Voullaire, paikea are the tiny crabs that survive hurricanes by clinging to sea wrack, and Paikea is the name of the Polynesian crab god, and other things that emerge from the sea.

Learn about the Māori legend: The Whale Rider. About how Paikea came to New Zealand from the Pacific Islands on the back of a whale many centuries ago.

Te Ana Ō Paikea is an island which lies at the southern end of the bay of Whangarā. At first glance, it looks like a large stranded whale. It is sacred because of its association with Paikea. He built his first home on its highest peak and called it Whitirēia after his former home in Hawaiki.