Honu (Sea Turtles), and where to spot them
My daughter likes to say "any day that you see a turtle is a good day!" In fact, it was she (at the age of 8), who named our townhouse "Hale O' Honu'ea". Honu'ea is Hawaiian for the endangered hawksbill sea turtle. According to NOAA 20-25 females nest annually on the south coast of the island of Hawaii. We even have The Hawaii Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project where scientists and volunteers monitor our remote beaches and identify, protect, and record field data on these nests; our daughter hopes some day to have the opportunity to be one of their summer interns.
What you are more likely to see around the island of Hawaii are green sea turtles, or "honu". Here's an excellent site that highlights the differences between the honu'ea and honu:
Honu within Mauna Lani Resort
We are fortunate to have many honu in the waters and on the beaches around Mauna Lani - in fact I took the photo of the honu in our profile picture at our beach club in Makaiwa Bay. The abundance of honu is in no small part thanks to the Malama (care for) Honu (green sea turtle) program at the Mauna Lani Resort. Since 1989, in partnership with Sea Life Park, a marine and wildlife center on Oahu, the resort has raised turtle hatchlings in its sea water ponds. Once they are mature enough the honu are released to the ocean as part of a community event on July 4th, known here as "Turtle Independence Day". Your first sure spot to see honu are to visit the ones being raised at the sea water ponds at the Mauna Lani Resort hotel. (Note: the resort is currently closed under renovation but is expected to reopen in January 2020.)
Walk the shoreline between the Mauna Lani Beach Club and the Fairmont: Sealife abounds along the shoreline. Watch the ocean surface for turtles popping up for a breath before they dive back down to feed along the reef and lava rock. Sometimes they will come up for a breath, or sometimes you'll spot them by their flippers coming out above the water line as they go with the ebb and flow of the waves and feed in the shallows along shore. Be sure to keep your eyes out for honu that have come to rest on shore and keep a respectful distance; " NOAA and DLNR recommend, for your safety and the animals’ protection, that everyone stay at least 10 feet (3 meters) from all sea turtles. "
Holoholokai Beach Park: Quite often 1 or more turtles will haul out along the short beach path that connects Holoholokai Beach Park to nearby Puako. Plus this is a beautiful spot to come enjoy a morning coffee or watch the local surfers or sunset, as well as walk the petroglyph trail.
Honokaope Bay, aka 49 Black Sand Beach: From within the resort, take the roundabout exit towards the Beach Club. After a 1/2 mile, the entrance to 49 Black Sand Beach community will be on your left. Stop at the gate and let the guard know that you are visiting the beach. Honu frequently haul out at this beach, plus you get to experience a black sand (actually crushed lava) beach. It's best to go early as passes are limited, and black sand gets HOT under the Hawaii sun!
Pau'oa Bay at the Fairmont hotel beach: While all beaches in Hawaii are open to the public, the facilities provided to the hotel are not, but you can walk south past the Fairmont property line (there are signs) and set up your own towels and chairs for a morning or afternoon of snorkeling. The Fairmont swimming beach is a small white sand access beach with little to see within the protected little cove. If conditions are calm, just past the lava wall there is a large variety of tropical fish and you are very likely to see honu feeding on either side. As with any ocean activity, be aware and use reef-safe sunblock (or even better, solar protective clothing like a rash guard), and be careful not to walk on or hit the coral reef with your flippers. Read more about reef safe sunblock here:
Honu nearby in Puako:
Puako is the nearby beach community just north of Mauna Lani resort. A short walk north along the beach trail from Holoholokai Beach Park puts you out on Puako Road, a short 2 1/2 mile stretch along the shore with everything from small shacks to giant mansions on either side. Along the road are numerous public access paths to the shore; any of these are a good spot to look for honu either feeding in a tide pool or hauled out for sun on the lava rock. This route is a frequent morning run for us when we are staying at Hale O' Honu'ea (although one of us spends more time stopping along the shore than running!)
Waialea Bay (known locally as Beach 69) in Puako is another nice beach for snorkeling and a frequent spot to see turtles swimming by. We seldom see them ashore here, but either way it is a nice beach to visit, especially for the shade. Although there is white sand entry to the ocean, there are also loose rocks and coral that come in and out with the waves, so this is not where to go if you want to let little ones play in the shallows! But once you're in, its a fairly protected place to swim and if the waves are right, to boogie board. From Mauna Lani resort, we recommend driving over with beach chairs and snacks for a half day of snorkeling (expect to pay $5 for the public parking).
Kiholo Bay and Hike: For a little more adventure and a little further afield, combine a shoreline hike with looking out for honu. Like any hike in Hawaii, we carry lots of water and prefer to do this early in the day and even better, during winter months. You may lose count of the number of turtles you will see along the way! For more information about access, the hike, and where you can swim along the way without crossing into private property or damaging the ecosystem check out the Big Island Hikes link below:
Although the green sea turtle is still listed as a threatened species in Hawaii, NOAA and DNLR report good population recovery in recent years. Almost any beach you visit on the Island of Hawaii can be a good spot to see honu and some are even famous as sites to see them. These are just a few of our favorite spots over the years that we have recommended to our guests staying at Hale O' Honu'ea, and we hope you have an opportunity to visit and swim with honu too.
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