The Honu (Green Turtle) Nesting A female green turtle arrived offshore at her nesting beach alone at night. She mated earlier with a male green turtle nearby in the water. It is time for her to lay her eggs. She might nest three or more times during a single nesting season. Though she is fast and well suited to the water, she is slow and in danger on land. The female dragged herself out of the sea and onto the beach up beyond the reach of high tide. She dug a pit for her body with her flippers. She nested in it and used her back flippers, like shovels to scoop out a bottle-shaped hole. Now she drops about one-hundred white, leathery eggs that look like Ping-Pong balls into this hole. When she finishes, she will cover the nest with sand and slowly go back to the sea, leaving a trail behind her. In the Hawaiian Islands, most greet turtles migrate to nest at remote French Frigate Shoals, 400 miles northwest of Kaua`i. This special site is a National Wildlife Refuge where many seabirds and monk seals have their young.

Ka Ho'opunana o ka 'Oma'oma'o Ua ho'ea mai kekahi honu 'oma'oma'o wahine ho'okahi ma kahahai i kona wahi ho'opunana. Ua ho'omau keiki iho nei 'o ia me kekahi honu 'oma'oma'o kane ma kai kokoke. Hiki paha ia ia ke ho'opunanai na manawa he 'ekolu a 'oi aku i loko o ke kau ho'opunana ho'okahi. 'Oiai 'awiwi 'o ia a ma'a 'o ia i ke kai, 'ulolohi loa 'o ia a pilikia 'o ia ma ka 'aina. Ua kolo ka honu wahine ma ke kapakai mauka aku o ka wahi kai nui. Ua 'eli iho 'o ia i kekahi lua no kona kino me kona mau hui. Ua ho'opunana 'o ia i loko o ka lua, a hana 'o ia i kona mau hui hope, e like me kekahi mau kopala, no ka 'eli i kekahi lua ma ke 'ano he 'omole ia. I keia manawa, ha'ule hua 'o ia i na hua ke'oke'o mauana ma kahi o ho'okahi haneli, kohulike na hua i na popo kenika pakaukau. I kona ho'opau 'ana, uhi 'o ia i ka punana i ke one a ho'i 'ulolohi ma kai, e waiho i kona meheu. Ma hope o kona ha'alele, hiki i na mea po'a ke hahai i kona mau meheu a 'aihue i kona mau hua, a i 'ole ma Hawai'i nei, hiki i kekahi manakuke pololi, pua'a, a i 'ole he 'ilio hae a i 'ole he popoki ke ai i na hua. Ma ka pae'aina o Hawai'i, huaka'i 'aumoana i ka nui o na honu 'oma'oma'o e ho'opunana i na moku papapa 'o ia ho'i o French Frigate Shoals, aia aku la he 'eha haneli mile ma kahi 'akau o Kaua'i. He pu'uhonua keia o ka National Wildlife Refuge no na manu kai a me na 'ilio holo i kauaua.

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