Honu ~ Magical Endangered Sea Turtles

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle ~ Endangered Icons Series

2003

Mixed Media

Watercolor, japanese papers, 

thread, glass beads on canvas

In the summer of 2002 I was in Hawaii with my friend Shannon. She and I had driven our rental car up to the North Shore of O'ahu to swim at Waimea Bay. Waimea Bay is known for its big waves but in the summer it's calmer and though you can still feel the power of the ocean you won't be crushed by a two story wave.

Shannon was sunning on the beach and I was in the water, about fifty yards out, with my snorkel and mask. All of the sudden I looked to my right and there was a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle about three feet from my head! I was so excited I swallowed a mouth full of water! In my state of glee I started waving wildly at Shannon who thank God didn't see me or she would have thought I was drowning!

That was my first sea turtle sighting and at that moment I fell in love with Honu. 

Honu (pronounced hō new) is Hawaiian for sea turtle.

Below is a 4 Minute Ted video on The Survival of the Sea Turtle! It's a great little video on how an adult sea turtle is a miracle beating the odds.

Laniakea, 2017

Honu "Olivia Dawn" on the Beach

All 7 species of sea turtles are under threat by fishermen's nets, dangerous plastics destroying the oceans, pollution, and habitat destruction. On top of that they are hunted for their eggs, skin, shells and meat. 

There are strict laws protecting the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle and you are not allowed to come within 10 feet from them. At Laniakea Beach, on the North Shore of O'ahu, the "turtle police" are there to enforce the rule. 

The Honu love to sun themselves at Laniakea (also a great surf spot) but that means there are a million tourists and horrible "turtle traffic" as the locals call it. Because of the traffic and crowds I would highly recommend going somewhere else to snorkel and see see the turtles.

I think it's cute how they put up signs with information about certain certain sea turtles. They sun themselves at this spot because it's also one of their favorite lunch-spots for sea grass. 

On this day I hopped out of Kevin's car to see the turtles. He knew the weather and conditions were perfect for a sighting! Isn't Olivia Dawn cute? Her Hawaiian name is Ipo and she is 42 years old.

Another day ... another beach! There ended up being three or four of them on the sunning themselves on the sand! 

Bring your telephoto for a close up! These guys were HUGE and very old.

Here's a wonderful 3:44 minute video from National Geographic with more great information and beautiful shots of sea turtles! 

The art piece I did at the top of this post is the smallest and most endangered of all the sea turtles, the Kemp's Ridley. They are found mostly in the northern waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The Kemp's Ridley and Hawksbill are both listed Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List Status, Followed by the Green Turtle which is listed as Endangered. The Flatback currently has insufficient data while the Leatherback, Loggerhead and Olive Ridley are all still listed as vulnerable.

Over the years there have been many kids at the Art School where I teach who have been inspired by Honu! Here are a few of their loving portraits!

Juliette's incredible first oil painting! 

Clio's lovely pastel of a sea turtle and school of fish ...

Audrey's beautiful watercolor sea turtle!

And lastly little Julia, who is 7 years old, did this unbelievable Honu watercolor ... 

A closer look!

Here's one more video with a visit to a sea turtle sanctuary in Malasia. It's cute to see one napping on the reef!

One of my passions is protecting Endangered Species which I've incorporated into my art projects in the past. Because of what is happening, with both climate change, single use plastic abuse, and threats to laws protecting endangered species, I am moving back toward this subject matter as it becomes more and more critical. Right now there are more than 28,000 species that are threatened with extinction. That's 27% of all assessed species.

Something we can all do to help in the immediate is to reduce our plastics and do our part to pick up plastics that can end up in drains and rivers which dump into our oceans. It's time for us all to wake up about this critical issue. 

For more information on Endangered Sea Turtles and all other Vulnerable and Endangered Species on our planet, please visit the IUCN Redlist.org

What is "The Red List"?

"Established in 1964, The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Far more than a list of species and their status, it is a powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to protecting the natural resources we need to survive. It provides information about range, population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation actions that will help inform necessary conservation decisions."

To see my other Endangered Species related art, click Here.

Blessings, Light and Aloha!