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Story: Māori creation traditions

Tangaroa, god of the sea

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Tangaroa, god of the sea

This sculpture by Jason Porter, ‘Te autahi ki te ākau’ (one ocean current), is a modern representation of the god of the sea, Tangaroa, and his children. It stands at one of the entrances to Pāpāmoa Beach, Bay of Plenty.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Shirley Williams

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How to cite this page

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, Māori creation traditions – Common threads in creation stories, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/2430/tangaroa-god-of-the-sea (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 4 March 2009.