The Hawaiian Waters

Hey everyone!

Did you know that in the Hawaiian waters there is quite a number of green sea turtles swimming around. Unfortunately, they are threatened. These green sea turtles (chelonia mydas) are the Honu for the Hawaiians and are illustrated in the petroglyph of the Honu. However, the ali’i, chiefs and leaders in the year of the monarchy, feasted on the flesh, so millions of these trusting reptiles have ended up in soup pots worldwide.

But not only the sea turtles are threatened, also the almost extinct hawksbill turtle’s (eretmochelys imbricata) fate is linked to the continuing demand for its shining tortoise shell. No point of telling you, that this is illegal! It’s sad that prices in the hundreds of dollars lure silent hunters out of demands for decorative dishes, hair combs and jewelry. Not that I do not collect everything that is in connection with turtles. But my decorative turtles are made out of glass, stone, wood or they are soft toys.

Well, there are also the leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea), feeding away from the shores along their way to far away destinations. The leatherback is the giant of sea turtles, the largest of all sea reptiles in the world. Since they only feed off shore and do not nest in Hawaii, I haven’t had a chance yet to watch them closely.

Next time, I tell you more about ‘my girl friends’ again.

Talk to you soon, Honu

The Legend of Kauila at Punalu’u

Hi there!

After a very busy October I get back to you with my promise. Let me tell you the legend of Kauila, the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle.

Once upon a time, a magnificent turtle appeared on the moonlit shores of Punalu’u. This turtle was no ordinary sea turtle. Her head was as white as the snow up on the Mauna Kea. She was named Honu-po’o-kea, and arriving at the ocean’s edge, she was searching for the perfect spot to build a nest. Gently, the waves tugged at the black sand beach beneath her, with a deep sigh, she pulled herself ashore.

The turtle dug a shallow hole and laid an egg, as dark and smooth as polished kauila wood. Her mate, the turtle Honu-’ea, had been waiting offshore, his reddish-brown shell bobbing in the surf. As Honu-po’o-kea covered her nest, Honu’ea  joined her. Together the turtles dug into the black sand and created a spring. Then, as silently as they had come, they disappeared into the ocean.

In time, the egg hatched into a magical turtle named Kailua. Kailua made her home at the bottom of the freshwater spring that her parents had made. People called it Ka wai hu o Kauila, the rising water of Kauila. Children would come to play in the spring, and if they saw bubbles rising from its depths they knew that Kauila was sleeping. Sometimes Kauila would transform herself into a girl so that she could play among the keiki (children). Always, she kept a watchful eye on the children, insuring their safety.

Take care and have a good night!

Honu

Girlfriends

Hello and good morning!

Remembering the first day, I was sent down to one of the hidden beaches behind the Honokohau Harbor in Kona, they did promise me that I will see them there, a chance of 99%. Ha, ha, I was not convinced at all, but this was just the beginning of a life with my new girlfriends. So you certainly know already who I am talking about – the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle!

 Over time, after realizing that the chance of seeing the Green Sea Turtle was not 99% but 100%, I was totally captured by their fascinating appearance, and I finally decided to write about them in my blog. So almost all the spare time I could afford, I went down to the coast to see the turtles. After a while my friends in Kona only referred to them as ‘my girlfriends’. So, there you go, my girlfriends are the Green Sea Turtles (chelonia mydas) of Hawaii, The Big Island. Well, ok, I certainly do like almost all the different species of turtles I was confronted with during my life so far, but the Hawaiian Turtle accompanied me for quite some time in my life and have their own story.

 

Did you know, that these ancients lived through the age of the dinosaurs? They indeed survived the great ice age, they have been swimming the oceans of the world for over 200 million of years. They are the true survivors. Legend tells of Kauila, a magnificent turtle that appeared on the moonlit shores of Punalu’u and was not an ordinary sea turtle. Kauila is known as the ‘mythical mother’ of all turtles, and it is said that turtles were the guides for the first voyagers to Hawaii. The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle therefore had an important role in ancient Hawaii and petroglyphs of the turtles (Honu in Hawaiian) can be found wide spread over the islands. Not only petroglyphs but the real turtles are out there. Just have a look at these amazing creatures.

Best wishes from Honu

Guete Morge Mäuserich

Heute mal in Deutsch und nur ein kurzer Eintrag, um einen wahren Freund auf meinem Blog zu begrüssen.

Willkommen Mäuserich: Du bisch de Bescht!!!

Day 07/08/09

Well hello!

 What a special day today, just look at the date: 07.08.09

All right, it’s of course only special if you write it in European style. But don’t you think it’s worth to do something special that day? Well for you I thought, I might just introduce you to Teal and Aydan. Told you about the Greek Turtles I share my house, right? So, meet them right here:

 

Introduction

Hey there!

So this is my brand new Blog! Well, what about it and why now, what’s the motivation you might ask. Let me just give you a brief introduction.

Just a short note for those who are not aware of the meaning of HONU. Honu is the Hawaiian word for turtle. So there you go, HawaiiHonu, Hawaiian Turtle. I am not a turtle, of course, even though at certain times I feel like one, you know, laying lazily at the beach, or to duck my head in not so pleasent situations But this blog is gonna give you some insight into a turtles life, since I spent so much time with and around the Hawaiian Turtles and for now, living in Switzerland, I do share my house with two Greek Turtles.

Does this make me somehow to a humanized turtle? Maybe I was a turtle in a former life. However, everybody knows I love turtles and therefore a lot of presents I get are in any possible form of a turtle or turtle related stuff. Well, find out yourself, this is me

Looking forward to having you as a visitor on a regular basis on my HONU-Blog!!!

Cheers, Honu

Hello world!

Welcome to my Blog. This is my first post.