Te Kahuoterangi Whaling Station was one of three shore whaling stations established on Kapiti Island in the 1830s and 1840s. The exact date it began operating is unknown but it appears to have been in operation by 1839 and, by 1843, was a station of several boats. Its catch statistics are not listed in The New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Guardian for 1844, so it is probable that 1843 was its final year in operation.

Whaling was the first large-scale profitable commercial activity undertaken in New Zealand. The industry had a considerable impact on both the local economy and the coastal populations of Maori and Pakeha. Early Kapiti whalers operated in very tense times as Te Rauparaha and his nephew Te Rangihaeata were asserting their influence. The whalers and other traders were considered useful by the Ngati Toa chiefs and their settlement on the Island was encouraged. Te Kahuoterangi itself was the site of a Maori settlement and it is possible that it was occupied at the same time that the whaling station was in operation.

The structural remains of Te Kahuoterangi are considered to be the most intact of any of the shore whaling stations in New Zealand. The remains of try pot C are roughly two thirds intact, while one wall remains of try pot D. Additionally, terraces, stone alignments, fireplaces, midden and a grave have been identified.

Te Kahuoterangi has very high archaeological values. As an early European settlement it has the potential to provide information on the way of life of its former occupants and the interaction between Maori and Pakeha during this period of early contact and cultural change. The site also provides valuable information about whaling station operations and the arrangement of the shore works and accommodation.