2011 Turtle Project Update for Ka'u on the Big Island of Hawaii

The sea turtle, or Honu in Hawaiian, can be seen up and down the coast of the Big Island

THE TURTLE PROJECT reports a very successful season, not only for thousands of baby hawksbills leaving their nests to reach the ocean along Ka`u’s coast, but for a rare olive ridley turtle, whose nest was found and protected at the end of Road to the Sea below Hawaiian Ocean View Estates.

The olive ridley nest was saved from the surf and protected by volunteers at `Awili Point. It was only the fourth documented nesting of a ridley in Hawai`i.

Baby Olive Ridley turtles—Photo courtesy of the Hawai`i Volcanoes Hawksbill Turtle Project

The hawksbills did well with 39 nests on six beaches:

• Apua Point and Halape inside Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park
• Kamehame
• The Nature Conservancy preserve makai of Pahala
• Koloa-Ninole near Punalu`u
• Pohue Bay
• `Awili.

No nests were found at Punalu`u this year. More than 40 volunteers helped to protect these rare turtles at the 40 nests along the Ka`u Coast. Hawai`i Volcanoes Hawksbill Turtle Project leader, Will Seitz, said that more than 4,000 hatchlings made it safely to the ocean, where they will spend the rest of their lives.

I’m very proud to live in such an aware community! Thanks to all who volunteered and helped with this years study and protection of this beautiful endangered species. Mahalo Nui Loa!

Information provided from the Ka’u Calendar and Hawaii Volcanoes Hawksbill Turtle Project.

Read my previous blog posts here!