Tuesday 15 May 2012

Surprise!

Look carefully at the middle rock on this beach in O'ahu.


Surprise! Yes, it's a sea turtle. I guess this honu came to the beach for a bit of sun, sand and surf just like the rest of us.


Although these photos don't show them, there were actually lots of people on the beach who were all looking at the turtle and snapping photos, just like me. But everyone was very respectful of the honu and did not try to touch or interfere with it at all.

Seeing a real sea turtle in its natural habitat was quite a thrill for a land-locked prairie girl like me!

37 comments:

jaz@octoberfarm said...

really cool!

turquoisemoon said...

Oooh gosh...what a thrill!!!

Elena said...

That is TOO cool!!

The Dancing Crone said...

She doesn't seem particularly concerned that you are near. Used to the admiration I suppose. What a great holiday you had!

quietmind279 said...

What great photos. Such amazing creatures. Thanks for sharing :)

DEZMOND said...

it's a big turtle. She probably wants to runaway from the paparazzi, but that mission is more difficult for turtles ...

CorvusCorax12 said...

how wonderful

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

That is very cool! A celebrity turtle :)

mxtodis123 said...

Amazing. Since we have inherited our three turtles here at work, I have grown to respect them. Amazing to see their different personalities.
Mary

Lois said...

Very cool, what an experience! It makes me want to bury my toes in the sand.

Jeanne said...

Most Awesome!!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, that turtle is absolutely beautiful!!!

Winter P. Dawson said...

Very cool... he seems to blend so perfectly.

Yvonne said...

What a wonderful sight to see! I have never seen an adult one in the wild. I did go to a baby turtle release last year and plan to go to some more this summer. They release Ridley turtles here, I wonder what kind your turtle is? I wonder if she was going to lay eggs? I also had baby turtles hatch out in my front flower beds once. What a sight!
You were lucky you got to see your honu, I love that word.

Robin Larkspur said...

That sea turtle ROCKS!!

Anonymous said...

what an honor to see this beautiful creature, you are a lucky woman indeed!

Barfly said...

We live a couple of hours from the beach in South Carolina where my in-laws have a house. There is a law on the island that there can be no exterior flood lights on the backs of houses during certain times of the year because it attracts the turtles from the ocean up on to land.

Green Monkey said...

oh I love turtles of any size! its nice to see the respect from human to reptile.

SUZY8-TRACK said...

Oh to be a turtle and just lay on the beach all day!

Bersercules said...

He looks awesome!

Snap said...

Aren't they wonderful critters. We used to see turtles on the beach in Galveston on occasion. Such a sight!

Joyful Things said...

Lumbering and slow on land but so graceful and beautiful in the water. You are so lucky to have seen it!

Anonymous said...

That is so cool!! I'm so glad to hear that although people were excited to see them they were still respectful enough to keep their distance. I know I would have been so thrilled too =)

Sulky Kitten said...

Beautiful! I love seeing animals like this in their natural environment.

yellowdoggranny said...

wonder what he thought about all that?

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

it is nice to see real sea turtles...it blends in with the rocks

Steve Bailey said...

That is very cool! When I was there I saw some while in the water but never on land.

Bird said...

Oh my goodness! How incredible. I love sea turtles. I always have wanted to see one. You lucky gal you. :)

Introverted Art said...

Debra, what I finding!! She is so beautiful and you are so lucky to witness this.

Mistress Maddie said...

Yay!!!!! Thanks for sharing that with us! Very neat to see and it looks huge in just the picture alone........

laughingwolf said...

beauty!

too bad they're under threat, by 'man', like so many other species GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

it's true what's been said: 'man' is the ONLY species that CRAPS in its OWN nest!

Makropoulos said...

Pretty cool. It's even better than a cat, though I'd love a picture of a cat and a sea turtle together.

35jupe said...

I love them. I always have, but then Nemo sort of pushed me over the edge. (Which is probably a bad thing to admit, but it's true.)

G. B. Miller said...

Probably needed to enjoy his/her 200 winks with the wind tickling his/her shell and beach sand tickling his/her tummy. :D

My Grama's Soul said...

They are amazing creatures.

Jo

Jim said...

What a thrill that must have been, Debra! Such pre-historic looking critters.

RedRaven said...

That is cool!