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| In the clear, warm waters of
the Hawaiian Islands lives one of the most beautiful creatures in the
sea; the Green Sea turtle, or Honu as it is known to local
Hawaiians. These docile animals grace the reef and are often seen by
both divers and snorkelers throughout the island chain. As an
air-breathing reptile, Honu must leave the safety of the reef and
surface to breathe. A full grown adult may be over three feet long and
weigh upwards of 400 pounds! |
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| Diving and snorkeling with
Green Sea Turtles is always relaxing; their pace is usually very slow
and easy. The best way to stay with an animal is to move slowly and
easily yourself. Racing towards a turtle, or reaching out to touch one,
is a sure way to chase it away. Remember; they are an endangered
species, and are protected by law against injury or harassment. |
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| Green Sea Turtles can often be
seen on the reef as they graze on their favorite food, algae. I have
occasionally seen Green Sea turtles that actually eat jellyfish! |
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In the mid 1980’s Green Sea Turtles throughout the
Hawaiian Islands started showing signs of a mysterious new tumor. The
tumors are called fibropapillomas and can grow rapidly. They can be life
threatening for a turtle as they often grow on the eyes or mouth of an
affected animal. This may prohibit seeing, eating, or even breathing for
an infected turtle. The exact cause of these tumors is still under
investigation, but many of Hawaii’s Green Sea Turtles are now infected. |
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TIPS FOR GREEN SEA TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHS: The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle
is a perfect photo subject. With patience and slow movements you can
achieve amazing images. I usually will swim around a reef with a lot of
turtles looking for that perfect subject; an animal with a clean and
colorful shell, a curious animal that will allow an approach, or an
animal engaged in a behavior I would like to capture on film. Some
turtles are just plain shy of people and should be left alone. As for
equipment, a housed SLR with a wide-angle zoom works well. I prefer my
17mm-35mm lens. A Nikonos with a 20mm or 28mm lens also works well. A
small strobe for fill flash will help bring out highlights in the
turtle’s shell. A saturated film like Velvia or Echtachrome 100VS adds
to the vibrancy of a turtle shell. |
