Ka whakahotu ngā tai, ka nui te ika.

Regular tides, lots of fish.

My name is Waitā. I am the star who is associated with the ocean and the numerous types of food gathered from the sea.

Waitai / Sea Water

Māori used the maramataka (lunar calendar) as a guide for best times to fish,  go eeling, hunt and plant. This included māra mātaitai, the name given to seafood gardens, such as the seeding of shellfish beds.

The sea not only provides food, but the means to contain and preserve kaimoana (seafood).

The outer skin of rimurapa (bull kelp) is airtight when air becomes trapped in the honeycomb-like structures. When a blade of rimurapa is used to preserve food inside, known as pōhā (bull kelp bag), it can be kept safely for up two or three years.

Pōhā are still used today by Ngāi Tahu to preserve many types of food, and to transport preserved food from one area to another, including tītī (muttonbird).