Na Honu Kai: Hawaii’s Oldest Residents
Long before Polynesians arrived in Hawaii, na honu kai, sea turtles, swam in Hawaii’s waters. They are today a major attraction of underwater sightseeing, and an encounter with turtles is considered a blessing.
Photo By Capt. Tara Leota
Sea turtles have lived on our planet for over 150 million years. Of the seven species of sea turtles, the most commonly viewed around Kauai is the Pacific Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) or honu. Though still a threatened species, the population of green sea turtles has gradually increased due to continued protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1978.
Early Polynesians followed strict rules when hunting sea turtles, which allowed millions of sea turtles to thrive. However, as explorers arrived they discovered that, though very little of the honu is edible, that part is tasty. The turtles were easy to capture since they spend a lot of time close to shore eating seaweed. (The fat inside the turtle is green from the vegetation it eats, thus the name "green" sea turtle.)
Today, Hawaii hosts three-quarters of the Pacific green sea turtle population, thanks to consistent protection. However, habitat degradation and resulting dangers, such as entanglement in drift nets and collision with careless boats, still threaten these gentle and graceful animals. Honu is an air breathing reptile able to spend a significant period of time underwater. Resting under rocky ledges or in lava tube fissures, sea turtles can hold their breath up to four hours!. Scientists are studying this ability to maintain reduced brain activity in hopes of obtaining information that can be used to aid human stroke victims.
At full maturity, a sea turtle can be 3-4 feet long and 400 pounds. A male can be identified by its long tail. The turtle's shell is its skeleton, the top part called the carapace, the underside termed plastron. A sea turtle cannot withdraw its head into its shell for protection. The imposing size and head extension add to the excitement of meeting one as it swims under water or relaxes on the ocean surface. In either event it is illegal and ecologically unacceptable to interfere with a turtle in any way.
Most nesting takes place in the French Frigate Shoals, a National Wildlife Refuge. When they reach mating age, about 30 years old, honu return to the beach where they themselves hatched to lay the next generation of eggs. Adult turtles make this 800-mile migration once every 2-5 years.
For nesting purposes, female turtles drag themselves up onto the beach beyond the reach of high tide. With her flippers, a female shovels out a bottle-shaped hole and lays about 100 round leathery eggs. She then covers the nest and returns to sea. After two months, hatchlings wriggle onto the beach and, attracted by the brightness of the water, race into the sea. Defenseless, only a few survive as most are eaten by birds, crabs, octopi or fish.
The turtles' life span is unknown, but scientists believe turtles can live longer than humans. The adult turtles' only natural predator is the tiger shark. Unfortunately, a disease has emerged - fibropapilloma (excessive tissue tumors in the head, fins and internal organs) - which has seriously impacted the sea turtle population. This world-wide disease is debilitating and often fatal. Scientists are extensively monitoring Hawaii's population to find the cause and cure.
It will take years for the sea turtle population to increase sufficiently to be removed from the endangered list. We can help them flourish by observing a proper code of conduct: dispose of beach trash properly, view turtles from a respectful distance, and teach our children to appreciate the beauty and grace of Hawaii’s oldest resident, the green sea turtles.
