Hawaiian green sea turtle

Photo: David R · CC BY-NC

Hawaiian green turtles, known locally as honu, are a genetically distinct population that nests almost exclusively in the French Frigate Shoals and ranges throughout the main Hawaiian Islands to forage on reef algae. Adults routinely return to specific cleaning stations and resting ledges, making them highly predictable at sites like Sheraton Caverns where they rest motionless inside the lava tubes. Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, populations have recovered substantially since the 1970s due to nest protection programs.