Hawaii is home for five of the seven world’s sea turtles species and three of them are native to the Hawaiian Islands. They’re an important part of the Hawaiian ecosystem and culture. The Green Sea Turtle (Honu), the most popular sea turtle species in Hawaii, is a symbol of endurance, long life, and good luck. It’s said that turtles always find their way home and can act as guardian spirits.
That’s no wonder because turtles have a 150 million years history and survived the age of dinosaurs. However, they didn’t cope very well with the age of humans and were listed as a “threatened” species in 1978. Only one turtle in 1000 turtles maturity. Many Hawaiian research centers dedicate their energy and resources to studying and helping turtles, educating the community, and raising awareness about the beautiful wildlife of the islands.
Sea turtles are welcoming hosts and allow you to swim and watch the sunset in their company. They’re good listeners too. Gentle and peaceful, mindful of each step, gracious swimmers, and hard as a rock when needed, sea turtles show us the beauty and fragility of life. In their great wisdom, turtles know to live in the present and take one step at a time. Their first and most important journey, from the nest to the ocean, is around 15 meters long. It’s a long way for a newborn. But the mindset of turtles helped them resist over the years even in these harsh conditions.
Watching a sea turtle bathing in the sun is almost a spiritual experience. There’s something majestically about it. It might be the strong connection with nature, the mix of strength and vulnerability, or the unbreakable calm it inspires. It might be because it reminds us something was here before us and will be long after we’ll be gone. We’re just a small piece of the Universe. So is the sea turtle but it knows it better than us.