Skip to main content

Story: Sharks and rays

Māngōroa

Image
Māngōroa

In Māori legend, the demi-god Māui placed a shark in the heavens, forming Māngōroa – the Milky Way galaxy.

Using this item

Starry Night Photography

by Chris Picking

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Gerard Hutching, Sharks and rays – Māori and sharks, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/5308/mangoroa (accessed 12 June 2026).

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 2 March 2009.