 Oral traditions of the state that came to New Zealand from on the back of a whale following an event known as , a slaughter of the first born sons of at sea.According to tradition, the whale turned into stone, and is now the island of (also known as or ), immediately offshore.In a version probably recorded from Kaikōura, Paikea was the youngest of Uenuku's sons, and his favourite, which made the other siblings incredibly jealous of him.