Watching Out for Nature: On the beach (literally) in Fall and Winter

A few weeks ago, for the first time in my blog, I did a dedication. (March 03, 2016, Childhood nature memories revisited) It was prompted by my visiting junior high school friend’s awe at the simple crown flower. That made me think, are there others that have inspired a blog? Something came to mind…

So this week I am dedicating this blog to another junior high school friend and her husband; she and her husband also came to visit us in February. (Having so many visitors in a month is yet another reason - “lucky you live Hawaii!”)

All through our time with these visitors, which included my friend’s sister and husband, they all kept talking about turtles. (They had been on a cruise that took in all the major islands; so this was a theme.) So on a touring drive here on Oahu, my husband thought, we have to take them to Turtle Beach (what we call it) but properly Laniakea Beach.

When we walked down to the little cove area, there were three Green Sea Turtles up on the sand! [As an aside, the popularity of this beach, and the North Shore residents have led this beach to be frequently in the news. Article about one issue at Laniakea Beach]

Green Sea Turtles / Laniakaea Beach / February 2016

I had never seen that many turtles there. It is nice that so many large turtles feel comfortable at that beach! That made me wonder where they lay their eggs.

When searching an answer on the Internet, I found this great website about the group who watches over these honu! Malama Na Honu

I didn’t identify the turtles who were on the beach that day. Perhaps you can. Some of the turtles apparently migrate to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to lay eggs.

Green Sea Turtles / Laniakaea Beach / February 2016

To maintain the turtle theme of that visit, my friend and I were talking and treading water at Kailua Beach, after swimming to the swim area marker. My friend called out for me to look. I turned in apprehension and there was a small Green Sea Turtle about a yard away! My friend said that made her trip. (I guess even more than the three turtles on the beach!) I have not ever been swimming at Kailua Beach with a turtle! I have seen many while snorkeling on Maui.

Monk Seal / Sunset Beach / September 29, 2012

Green Sea Turtle / Laniakaea Beach / September 29, 2012

When thinking about the three-turtle-sighting, with visitors, I remembered another amazing touring day when relatives from Germany came to visit.

We took another North Shore trip and the wildlife came out in fine form for our visitors from afar.

That was a great day for us too! We had never seen a Monk Seal (Sunset Beach) and then a Green Sea Turtle (Laniakea) in one day!

I think that all our other Monk Seal sightings in Hawaii have also been with family visitors. There have been a few more at Sunset Beach, three out at Kaena Point, and two occasions on Kauai; one was a mother and pup at Poipu Beach (2001). Also the only time I have ever seen a Monk Seal at Kailua Beach was with my sister!