I’m fascinated by Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas), which bask on the sands of Poʻipū Beach, here on the south shore of Kauaʻi. Known locally as honu, they typically range from 200 to 400 pounds, but some have weighed in north of 800 pounds. They can also live more than 90 years, are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles, and range across all the ocean’s non-frigid seas. They also migrate up to hundreds of miles, can dive to 1500 feet, and are herbivores, living mostly on seaweed.

The Hawaiian population is unique to the species in their choice to bask on beaches. Other green sea turtle populations come ashore, but only to lay eggs. These guys, however, don’t lay eggs where they bask, preferring instead to repopulate on remote outlying islands such as French Frigate Shoals.

They also aren’t green except on the inside, where their fat and cartilage have a verdant hue. And they are a protected species, so don’t try to check that out.

Here is an album of turtle shots I took yesterday, and another I shot four years ago. It’s possible some of the same turtles are in both sets. The number of people observing the turtles these days, however, is a high multiple of what I saw the first time around.