Green Sea Turtles

Hawaiian green sea turtle

Green Sea Turtles in Hawaiʻi

Few experiences capture Hawai’i quite like swimming alongside a green sea turtle. Known locally as honu, these gentle giants are icons of Hawaiian waters — graceful, ancient, and deeply connected to local culture and ecology.

Green sea turtles are the largest of the hard-shelled turtles, weighing up to 440 pounds and measuring nearly four feet long. While they’re called “green” for the color of their body fat (caused by a seaweed-based diet), their shells can appear olive, brown, or even patterned with golden streaks. Adult shells typically measure 36–43 inches, and most weigh 200–300 pounds.

These turtles are primarily herbivores, using their serrated jaws to graze on seaweed and algae — an important role in keeping Hawaiʻi’s reef ecosystems healthy.

Life Cycle and Nesting Habitsgreen sea turtle_cleaning_station

  • Green sea turtles live remarkably long lives, but their journey is not easy:
  • They reach sexual maturity around 25 years old.
  • Adults migrate up to 800 miles between the main Hawaiian Islands and their nesting beaches in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
  • Between 1 and 350 females nest each year, often laying multiple clutches of eggs per season.
  • Each nest averages 100 eggs, though only a handful of hatchlings survive to adulthood.
  • Females return to nest just once every two to three years.
  • Witnessing a honu nesting on a Hawaiian beach is an extraordinary — and increasingly rare — sight.

How Fast Do Sea Turtles Swim?

  • Green sea turtles may look serene, but they are powerful swimmers:
  • They can glide through the ocean at speeds of up to 35 mph.
  • While active, they surface every few minutes to breathe.
  • When resting, adults can stay underwater for more than two hours.
  • Juveniles, however, must sleep at the surface since they lack the same lung capacity.

Other Sea Turtles of Hawaiʻi

While the green sea turtle is the most commonly seen in Hawaiʻi, the islands are also home to hawksbill and leatherback turtles. On rare occasions, visitors may spot loggerhead, olive ridley, or Kemp’s ridley turtles. All are endangered species, while the green turtle is currently listed as threatened.

Snorkel Safely with Green Sea Turtles in HawaiʻiGuided turtle snorkeling Oahu boat tour near Ko Olina

  • Snorkeling with turtles on Oʻahu and across the islands is a highlight for many visitors — but it comes with responsibility. The honu are protected by state and federal law, which means:
  • Keep a respectful distance (at least 10 feet/3 meters).
  • Never touch, feed, or chase turtles.
  • Allow them to surface and breathe freely.
  • Follow your guide’s instructions if on a tour.
  • By practicing responsible wildlife viewing, you help ensure the honu continue to thrive in Hawaiian waters for generations to come.
  • We found a turtle cleaning station!
green sea turtle hawaii swim

Honu in Hawaiian Mythology and Life

Hawaiian Mythology: Some legends tell of the Hawaiian Islands being formed on the back of the honu (green sea turtle).

Cultural Significance: The honu appears in ancient petroglyphs and oral traditions.

Symbol of Wisdom & Endurance: Long-lived and ancient, the honu is revered for its wisdom and strength.

ʻAumākua (Guardian Spirit): For some families, the honu is considered an ancestral guardian and protector.

Voyager & Messenger: Skilled navigators, honu are believed to carry messages from the gods or ancestors between ocean and land.

Connection of Land, People, and Sea: The legend of the island resting on the honu’s back highlights Hawaiians’ deep ties to nature.

Most Common Hawaiian Sea Turtle: The green sea turtle is the species most frequently seen feeding in Hawaiʻi’s shallow coastal waters.

Slow to Mature: It takes nearly 30 years for a honu to reach adult breeding size, typically 200+ pounds.

Longevity: Green sea turtles can live more than 100 years and reach up to 350 pounds in the wild.

Threats currently facing sea turtles include:

  • Destruction of coral reef
  • Loss of nesting beaches through human development activities
  • Climate change affecting temperatures and gender of hatchlings (warmer weather makes male hatchlings)
  • Pollution of the oceans by chemicals and garbage/plastics
  • Harvesting of turtles for their shells, leather, and meat
  • Poaching of turtle eggs
  • Death in driftnets, gillnets, shrimp trawling nets, and other fishing gear
  • A mysterious and fatal disease called fibropapilloma, whose cause and cure are still unknown, and which is at epidemic levels in parts of Hawaii and Florida, and other areas of the world.

Wild Side’s wildlife tours focus on education and conservation so that an interactive relationship can be maintained in the best interest of both humans and dolphins. We strive to foster admiration and deep respect for these wonder-full marine mammals.