Honu

The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle was named after their greenish colored fat, Honu. Their fat is green from the algae or limu(Hawaiian sea weed) that they eat. The only natural predators of adult green sea turtles are tiger sharks. Of course, humans are the main non-natural predator of sea turtles, killing them for their eggs, meat, oil, and shell. Sea turtles are gentle reptiles that spend the majority of their lives in the ocean. For turtles, Hawai`i is a luckier home than some other places. Hawai`i's isolation has helped maintain a population of Hawaiian Green Turtles through historic times. Modern science shows that sea turtles have been swimming the Earth's oceans for well over 100 million years--even pre-dating many dinosaurs. The Mauna Lani Resort on the Big Island releases hatchlings each year into the ocean. This resort is where we stayed and is where I walked out during low tide and got the picture of the Honu sunbathing on the lava rock.