T is for Honu. Puako, Big Island

One of the most amazing things about Puako Beach on the Big Island’s Kohala Coast, is that on nearly every beach, you can see green sea turtles live, up close and personal.*

Or not see them, as the case may be. Often while sitting on “my’ beach (btw – no beaches in Hawaii are private. All beaches are public.) in Puako, I watch people wander down the shoreline and nearly step on turtles before they actually see them!  No wonder why – the honu love to sleep in the sun and as they do so, they transform from looking like a wet dark lava rock, to the dried color of sand. Amazing.

In Hawaii, we call turtles “honu.” One of my friends was reading a “mainland” alphabet book to her toddler, and on the page for “T” was a picture of a turtle. We said, “t is for…” and he confidently answered, “honu!”

Do you want to see honu as part of your daily routine? Consider Puako Beach real estate. For a week, a month, or a lifetime. It’s never too late to live your best Hawaii Life.

*The green sea turtle is a protected species in the State of Hawaii. It is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. In 1978, the Hawaiian population of the green sea turtle was listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973. Do not get closer than 20 feet to the turtles, please. In this case, the turtles came up to me, I took the photo and then moved my chair back to give them plenty of room.