Many locals have recommended a trip to the North Shore for turtle spotting. I love giant sea turtles, having been lucky enough to snorkel with them off the coast of O'ahu and Maui. The honu, as they are called in Hawaiian, commonly beach themselves for a rest on one particular beach up there, Laniakea, where people flock to see them. I was a flocker, too.
After a fun morning on the windward side of the island, Jeff and I took a drive north in hopes of seeing honu, some good snorkeling, and shave ice at Matsumoto. We ended up with one out of the three, and thankfully, it was the honu.
Boy, was the whole North Shore crowded! The summer months host calm waters, very opposite from the fall and winter time, when the big waves roll in. This time of year, the beaches are perfect for swimming and snorkeling, but the parking is minimal, which made for a frustrating afternoon.
Nearing Laniakea Beach, I was nervous that parking would be impossible and the whole trip north a waste of time. Low and behold, there were a few spots open just across the street from where a couple of honu were sunning. We dashed across the road and down the rocks to get up close to the honu, though staying 6 feet away, as is requested by scientists. The turtles are protected, so there are volunteers that monitor the beach during the days, roping off a perimeter around each turtle, recording the time of visit, length of time spent on the beach, etc. Most of the turtles are recognizable and have been named. We saw one that had an info sheet stuck in the sand near the rope, explaining that it was a male, about 30 years old, named Tripod. I couldn't tel if it only had 3 feet.
Jeff and I walked a ways down the beach but really couldn't swim or snorkel. We spotted half a dozen turtles, one impressively huge one that swam near the shore but stayed in the waves. They were so nonchalant about being near people, even in the water. I left the beach happy and satisfied that our honu scouting expedition was a success.
