Honu`ea (The Hawksbill) (Eretmochelys imbricata) The hawksbill is one of the most beautiful sea turtles. Its hard, top shell, called the carapace, is made up of dark brown or yellow and brown scales. These scales overlap like shingles on a roof. The hawksbill`s bottom shell is called the plastron. It is yellow. The skin of its head and flippers has brown patches rimmed in yellow. The hawksbill gets its name from its beak because the top of it hooks down much like the bill of a hawk. This sea turtle measures a little less than three feet long and weighs up to two hundred pounds. Hawksbills and other sea turtles are reptiles like turtles that live on land. They have lungs and breathe air. Even though sea turtles can hold their breath for many minutes they must come up to breathe. Hawksbills live near coral reefs and rocky shorelines where they find sponges, worms, fish, snails and crabs to eat. Small populations of the rare honu`ea are found around the islands of Moloka`i, Maui and Hawai`i.

No Ka Honu 'Ea 'O ka honu 'ea, 'oi aka ka u'i o na honu kai like'ole. 'O kona una ma luna, e kapa 'ia he una kuaa, e pa'a 'ia 'o ia i na unahi maku'e a i'ole melemele. Pale na unahi kekahi i kekahi i like me na plil la'au o ke kaupoko o ka hale. E kapa 'ia ko ka honu 'ea una ma lalo he una alo. He melemele ia. Loa'a i keia honu i kekahi kiko maku'e ma kona po'o a me ma kona mau hui a he lihi melemele. Kohulike ka nuku o keia honu me ka nuku o ka 'io. He 'ekolu kapua'i kona lo'ihi a he 'elua haneli paona kona kaumaha. Like no ka honu 'ea a me na honu kai 'e a'e i na mo'o e like me na honu e ola ai ma ka honua. He mau akemama ko lakou a hanu i ke 'ea. 'Oiai lakou aho loa i ka lu'u, pono lakou e pi'i ka 'ili kai no ka hanu. Noho na honu 'ea ma kahi kokoke i na kohola a me ka 'aekai, kahi i loa'a na hu'akai, na ko'e kai, i'a, na pupu kai a me na papa'i no ka 'ai. kaka'ikahi ka heluna o ka honu 'ea a puni na mokupuni o Moloka'i, Maui a me Hawai'i.

The International Year of the Ocean Home Page is a publication of
the NOAA Home Page Design and Construction Company