The legend tells of Degei, a powerful sea god who sailed to the Fiji Islands with a crew that included two loyal warriors, Cavunatoakula and Ratu Saruta, tasked with guarding a sacred box of blessings called the Kato ni Cakamana. During a violent storm near Mana Island, the crew panicked and threw the box overboard.

After the storm, Degei demanded the box’s return. The two warriors searched and encountered Manamanaedina, a giant sea snake and guardian god of Mana Island. He revealed the box was now bound to the island and could never be removed. The warriors chose to stay and guard it forever, building two stone cairns still visible today.

When Degei sent a woman to retrieve them, she mistook their stillness for a curse and fled. Fearing the same fate for his people, Degei retreated, and the box was allowed to remain on Mana. According to legend, Manamanaedina still appears near the island with the rising moon.