Hawaiian sea turtles making a comeback

HANALEI — Don’t worry, she’s just resting, said Aquatic Biologist Don Heacock of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources, about a 300-pound green sea turtle which made an appearance in Hanalei Wednesday.

Discovered on the beach near the mouth of the Hanalei River, the large female honu was an unusual site for onlookers who were concerned she was ill, Heacock said.

But, when Heacock lifted up her flippers, she pulled her head in right away and took a deep breath, he said. “She looked really healthy.”

The sea turtle was last documented on the East Island of French Frigate Shoals — where she was originally tagged during nesting season — more than 16 years ago, and likely calls Hanalei Bay home, Heacock said.

“If she rests and is as healthy as she appears,” there is a good chance she could swim the many miles back to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and nest again, he said.

“People need to realize we are now starting to see natural sea-turtle behavior again,” Heacock said about the reptiles some 150 million years old.

Hawaiian sea turtles suffered from an “extremely reduced population,” especially during the 1960s and 1970s, due to over-fishing for “restaurant trade primarily,” he said.

Federally protected by the Endangered Species Act since 1978, the turtles should be more frequent visitors to beaches across the island, and two-legged visitors and residents will increasingly notice their presence, Heacock said.

The honu continue to make a slow recovery from a population which was once almost extinct, he said.

Judging by her size, Heacock said the Hanalei turtle getting a little rest and relaxation Wednesday is around 50 to 60 years old. Their maximum life span is typically around 75 to 80  years.

“Now that the population has come back, people are seeing turtles everywhere,” Heacock said.

And, don’t be alarmed, “basking behavior is natural,” he said.