The first explorers of Hawaii were Polynesian voyagers from the Marquesas Islands, who are believed to have arrived in Hawaii between 300 and 600 CE. Their navigation skills, guided by celestial observations and knowledge of ocean currents, allowed them to make long-distance sea voyages across the vast Pacific Ocean in double-hulled canoes known as wa'a kaulua.
Historical Accounts:
The earliest written accounts of European exploration of Hawaii are attributed to Spanish voyagers.
Juan Gaetano: He made the historic sighting of the Hawaiian Islands in 1555 while searching for gold. James Cook: British naval explorer James Cook is often mistakenly credited with discovering Hawaii when he arrived in 1778 during his third voyage of exploration in the Pacific, naming them the "Sandwich Islands" in honour of the Earl of Sandwich.