Green Sea Turtles

One of the most fun things to do at Napili Resort is to go snorkeling. In Hawaii, the green sea turtle is known as "Honu," and Honokeana Cove is one of the best places on Maui to see them.

The turtles vary in number, of course, since they are migratory, but I like to think that they move into the Cove and find it so peaceful that they call it home. I've seen as many of nine of them residing there at one time.

When you're looking for turtles, remember to turn and look behind you once in a while, they're curious about you, too and will sometimes just follow you around. Please don't touch them (hefty fines involved), and don't listen to the "old timers" who suggest you feed them and the fish frozen peas.

Green sea turtle hatchlings weigh about one ounce and have a shell that is about 2 inches long. Adults can grow to 4 feet and weigh up to 400 pounds! Male and female green sea turtles look virtually alike until they mature. Then, the two sexes are easy to tell apart: the males have long, thick tails, while the females have short, stubby ones.

You may see some turtles that have white growths on their faces, flippers, etc. There are several theories as to what has caused them. In November, 2003, there were more "clean" turtles than there were those with growths or tumors, that's encouraging!

Don't forget to pick up a disposable, waterproof camera so you can take pictures of your own turtle adventures! All of the photos on this page were taken with a disposable underwater camera - if we can do it, so can you!