Honuea - Hawksbill Sea Turtle

I like to snorkel and when I do, I always try to find a sea turtle. It makes me happy to see a sea turtle swimming gracefully in the water. It is calming and pleasant to watch a turtle swim. Not too long ago, I found out that most of the sea turtles we see around the Big Island are green sea turtles (honu), but there are actually four more species in Hawaiian waters. Also, the sea turtles that actually nest on the Big Island are hawksbill sea turtles (honuea). At beaches such as Punaluu, we can find many green sea turtles basking on the sand along with signs informing people not to disturb the turtles and also warning them that there may be turtle nests at the beach. Many people don't realize that turtle nests are very sensitive to human activities and people may be disturbing their habitat without realizing it. So, my question is: "What can we do to help protect the nesting habitat of the honuea?"

Basic Facts about Hawksbill Sea Turtles

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), called Honu 'Ea or 'Ea by the Hawaiians, is an endangered sea turtle. The hawksbill turtle's head is elongated and tapers to a point and has a beak-like mouth that gives the species its name. The shape of the mouth allows the hawksbill turtle to reach into holes and crevices of coral reefs to find sponges which is their primary food source as adults. Female hawksbills often return to beaches where they were born to nest. They nest every 2-3 years approximately every 14-16 days during the nesting season. A female hawksbill generally lays 3-5 nests per season, which contain an average of 130 eggs. They are known to nest on nine beaches on Hawai`i, on one beach on Maui and at an unknown number of locations on Moloka`i. Three of the beaches on Hawai`i are protected along the remote coast in the park at Halape, Apua Point, and Keauhou.

Loss of nesting habitat, predation and poaching (their shells make attractive jewelry, illegally sold worldwide as tortoiseshell) have reduced turtle populations to critically low levels. The nesting season starts in late May and extends to December. A female waits until night to crawl ashore in search of a suitable site on the beach near vegetation. She uses her strong flippers to dig a flask-shaped cavity. After she deposits an average of 178 eggs she covers the nest with sand. Then she returns to the sea, leaving the eggs to incubate during the next two months.

Working as a team, the tiny hatchlings scrape the sand off the roof of the cavity and pack it on the floor. In doing so, they raise their nest toward the surface of the beach. When they are about an inch from the surface, they test the sand. If it is cool, an indication of darkness, they emerge from the nest as a group and scramble to the water. Any artificial light source may attract the hatchlings and cause them to head away from the water, get stranded and die.

These information are found in NOAA Fisheries website.



What Can We Do to Help Protecting Nesting Habitats of Honuea?

I found answers to this question in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park website. There are many things we can do to help Honuea. A small thing can make a big difference in the future, and here are the small things that WE can do to help amazing creatures!

1. Do not camp or take livestock on sandy nesting beaches because you may disturb female turtles, their eggs or hatchlings.
2. Direct flashlights away from the ocean and do not build campfires. Fires and lights will disorient nesting female turtles and hatchlings.
3. Keep your campsite clean of food scraps. This will help keep away predators such as mongoose and feral cats.
4. Allow turtle access to the nesting beaches by keeping inlets free of cross nets.
5. Return turtle sighting reports to Park Rangers when checking out from the backcountry. Time, date, and location of sightings are important information.
6. Volunteer (contact the Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for information)
7. Federal and state laws protect all Hawaiian sea turtles from harassment, harm, pursuit, shooting, killing, trapping, or collecting

More information on Hawksbills can be found at U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website.