Thursday 29 September 2016

Snorkeling with Green Sea Turtles

Kailua, the legendary Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is said to have the powers to transform into a young maiden. When children played on the beach Kailua watched over them, and when they were thirsty she would guide them to freshwater springs. It is said that she is the mother of all Green Sea Turtles, and perhaps, of all children. Legend also claims that it was the Green Sea Turtle that led the first travelers to Hawaii.

The Best Time to Snorkel with Sea Turtles

If you would like to snorkel with Kailua’s majestic family, the best time to plan a visit is during the summer months when the waters are calmer. As a rule, calm waters make it easy to observe the turtles.

The winter months bring with them larger waves, which consequently attract surfers. Generally, it is not very wise to go snorkeling, where there are surfers. 

The Best Places to Snorkel with Hawaiian Sea Turtles

Turtle Town in West Maui, an extraordinary set of lava formations developed underwater by submarine volcanoes years ago, is agreed to be the most ideal snorkeling destination for this purpose. Marine biologists say that Sea Turtles exhibit a “strong site-fidelity” that causes them to return to the area of their birth repeatedly, especially if it is rich in food source. Maui Turtle Town is a storehouse of seaweed and algae – the equivalent of ambrosia to turtles.

The Honokeana Cove in Napili, Kapalua, and Honolua Bay are other well-known places that the Hawaiian sea turtle is known to frequent on a regular basis.

What to Expect

Interestingly,Green Sea Turtles have dark brown shells with irregular patterns or swirls of gold, olive and reddish tints, instead of green as we’d expect. The name, ‘Green Sea Turtle’ is derived from the color of their body fat, which is green – most likely because of all the algae that they munch on all day.

While swimming with the sea turtles you may notice some resting under ledges or in “cleaning stations,” where herbivorous fish nibble away the algae smudged on elegant turtle shells.

The experience of snorkeling with these beautiful creatures can be described as nearly transcendental. Sea turtles don’t swim away from humans immediately. In fact, many snorkelers have been surprised to find themselves being casually observed by a sea turtle swimming a few feet away. This provides for some amazing underwater photography.

Tips and Precautions

Green Sea Turtles are federally protected and it is against the law to touch them. It’s also important to know that a stressed turtle can drown in a few minutes in spite of being able to stay under water for up to 5 hours. Gauge the comfort level of a turtle by watching for an abrupt wakening from a stupor-like state, “yawns”, or flippers swiping across the forehead area.

Visit Hawaii, hire the best Charter Boat services, enjoy the various fares provided on board and drift down the warm Hawaiian waters, on an idyllic Turtle Watch. If you wish to snorkel with the Turtles, the expert crew can guide you to the best spots, where you can snorkel with the turtles and chalk up an entirely exhilarating experience on your trip calendar.

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