Tag Archives: Turtles

Punalu’u turtles

Punaluu turtles resting

Turtles are creatures of the water. The only reason they have to venture ashore is to lay eggs, but in Hawaii, green turtles like to find a beach and spend a lazy day basking in the sunshine. This helps them conserve energy and keeps them safe from sharks.

On the Big Island there are a number of places where turtles are frequently seen on shore. One of them is Punalu’u Beach Park, on the Kau coast, which has a lovely black sand beach ideal for getting a bit of rest. Well, it would be ideal except for that most annoying and obtuse of creatures, the human.

There are apparently large numbers of people who don’t know how to read the numerous signs telling them to keep their distance from the turtles. There are a fair number of people who think the world would be a better place if only there existed a photo of them sitting beside or on top of a turtle.

These days, park staff or volunteers tape off the area where the turtles are resting. This seems to help. The bottom photo was taken from behind the tape with a moderate telephoto lens so it’s not like anyone’s being deprived of getting a good view.

Posted in response to this week’s Sunday Stills challenge on the theme of ‘Lazy Days.’ See more responses here.

Punaluu turtle resting

Three green turtles and a passenger

Three green turtles

It’s not unusual to see green turtles hauled out on shore. Sandy beaches are prime resting spots, but these three chose this rocky bay, only a few hundred yards from some of the best beaches on the island. Perhaps they valued quiet over easy access.

The middle one of the three had gained a passenger that I didn’t notice until I processed the photos, an a’ama crab, making the most of its excellent vantage point.

Green turtle and A'ama crab

Green turtle swimming

Green Turtle swimming

Following up on my recent shark encounter, a more serene sighting in the same general area, but on a different day.

I saw this green turtle gliding toward me and catching the light in a lovely way. Clumsy on land, turtles are a different animal in the water — graceful, effortless, and at ease in their environment.

A green turtle drifts by

I visited Kiholo Bay again recently. At the eastern end of the bay is Wainanali’i lagoon, a stretch of water tucked behind a long spit of land. This protected water would be a prime snorkeling spot except that the bay gets a lot of freshwater infusion. This makes the water cloudy and gives it a distinctive turquoise appearance.

While it’s hard to see much when in the water, from shore the milky, turquoise water has an otherworldly look. Fish and turtles seem to ripple and float against a backdrop of nothingness. It’s a great place to wander along the shore, seeing what’s lurking in the shallows, and watching to see what floats into view before drifting away again.

Posted in response to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge, ‘Out of This World.’

Green turtle swimming

A green turtle swims in the waters of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Another post on the WordPress photo challenge theme of ‘serene.’

While waiting to board a boat to see the wonders of Hawaii’s ocean life, this green sea turtle obligingly drifted through the blue-green water alongside the quay. Green turtles generally appear to have an unflappable countenance, but the slightly surreal clear water adds a particular air of serenity I think.