A collection of legends, personal stories, and aphorisms about turtles and peoples' profound experiences with them.
Kauila Hawaiian Turtle Goddess Hawaiian legend, as reported by historian Mary Kawena Pukui, tells the story of a mystical sea turtle named Kauila, born on the black sandy shores of Punalu'u, in the district of Ka'u on the Big Island of Hawaii. Kauila was born the daughter of two supernatural sea turtles, the mother named Honupo'okea and the father named Honu‘ea. Honupo'okea came out of the ocean to give birth to a very special egg, the color and shape similar to a piece of kauila wood. She buried her special egg in the sand to be warmed by the Hawaiian sun until ready to hatch. Before returning to the sea, Honupo'okea and Honu‘ea used their flippers to dig deep into the earth forming a fresh water pond near their precious nest. After a time, Honupo'okea returned to the black sandy beach to wait for her special egg to hatch. Soon the egg cracked open and a beautiful baby turtle emerged - dark and glossy, like kauila wood. Mother and daughter made their way to the fresh water pond to live until Kauila was old enough to be on her own. 
Kauila made Punalu'u her home and would often rest at the bottom of the fresh water pond. The air bubbles from her breath would rise to the top of the pond delighting the children of Ka'u. Kauila loved all children and would sometime change herself into a little girl so that she could play with and watch over the children on the black sandy shores. The people of Ka'u cherish Kauila for her fresh water pond that gave them drinking water and for ensuring the safety of their children.
The Story of Honu Beer
(See the 23Dec03 Honu Beer Press Release here) Starting in January 2004, Honu Brewing Company will be giving a portion of its profits for their new "Honu Beer" to the World Turtle Trust to assist in our world wide sea turtle conservation efforts. Following is the story of how this came about as told by Brett Porter, the brew master at Honu Brewing Company who originated the idea for Honu Beer. ["Honu" is the Hawaiian and Polynesian word for Green Sea Turtle.] "My father John Porter fell under the spell of the honu in 1997. He used to bore the family with the number of turtles he'd spotted during snorkeling trips to Milepost 14 and Honolua Bay in Maui. In May of 1999 he discovered a large number of Turtles directly in front of his condo in Honokawai. He'd send email turtle counts to his three sons. My brothers would joke about the "turtle count" and ask Dad for the daily Mai Tai count." 
Bret Porter with his Dad and his son, Robert
"My family gathered at the family's condo in November 1999. The waves were big when we first got there and we couldn't get out through the reef without getting roughed up. So we waited. We were excited. My father's enthusiasm for turtles had begun to rub off on us. Finally we had a calm morning. My two brothers, my father, and I slipped into the water. We followed Dad through the narrow hole in the barrier reef. We followed him into deeper water well away from shore. We slowly crossed a long stretch of sandy-bottomed water. Finally several large outcroppings of coral loomed ahead of us. Dad indicated that this was where we should begin looking. We soon located several large honu on the bottom, and soon we'd counted over a dozen turtles. Several of them began to rise from their resting spots to have a breath of air. Their grace as they circled to the surface and the wisdom in their noble faces was spellbinding. We didn't say much as we got back to shore. My father was beaming. He'd been able to share this important part of his life with us, and we understood without him saying a word why his swims with the turtles were a spiritual experience that plastered a smile on your face for the rest of the day. My brothers don't joke about the "turtle counts" anymore. We remember that day together, and the feelings of love for family and nature that we silently shared." "Since that time in '99 I've been trying to figure out a way to do something for the honu. In July 2003 the idea for Honu Beer popped into my head. It's a way to give something back to the turtles who have given my father and my family so much joy. It's also a way to honor my father whose love, wisdom, and guidance I appreciate more every year." Thank you Brett, and thank you Honu Brewing Company for helping sea turtles everywhere!
For more information on Honu Beer, see HonuBeer.com .
Dubrovnikgate - the Croatian Turtle Saga:
A turtle story waiting for a happy ending
Contributed by:
MEDASSET, the Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles In November 2000 the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (UK) contacted MEDASSET about complaints received from a number of British tourists who had visited Croatia and were concerned at the poor living conditions of a captive loggerhead turtle at the Dubrovnik Aquarium. The turtle – a fully grown adult female – has been kept for the past 40 years in a small concrete tank surrounded by coins thrown in by visitors. Barely able to move, its muscles had become severely atrophied. MEDASSET immediately contacted a local turtle conservationist, who found that many complaints concerning the turtle's plight had been received from all around the world. He suggested that the turtle would require initial rehabilitation in a larger tank, enabling it to swim and rebuild muscle strength and was of the opinion that release into the sea was out of the question. MEDASSET contacted the Aquarium offering three possibilities to end the turtle's suffering: to re-house it in a larger tank, to send it to a recuperation centre or to relocate it to another aquarium with adequate facilities. On receipt of a message from Croatia that they were willing to release the turtle, in November 2001 MEDASSET began to make arrangements for its transfer to the Stazione Zoologica “Anton Dohrn” in Naples, Italy, where Dr Flegra Bentivegna had promised rehabilitation prior to release into the wild. In June 2002 an assistant from the Stazione who was travelling to Croatia went to collect the turtle, however the Aquarium refused to allow it to be taken, saying that they were due to renovate the Aquarium during winter 2002 and would build a new tank. In September 2003, with no change having taken place, Dr Frank Zindel from the Turtle Foundation based in Germany who had received complaints from German visitors to the aquarium, attempted to contact the Aquarium in order to resolve the situation. He received no response and posted a request for help on the C-Turtle list server. MEDASSET sent him copies of all their correspondence, and meanwhile contacted Dr Ivona Marasovic, Director of the Institute for Oceanography and Fishery in Split, who promised to investigate. So far we have had no response to our letter. This particular saga has continued for over 3 years. We continue to campaign on behalf of the turtle and hope that working in partnership with the Turtle Foundation in Germany and Croatians this particular story will have a happy ending.
Tale of Two Tunisian Turtles
Contributed by:
MEDASSET, the Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles On 23rd June 2003, an urgent message was received by our office “…please tell me if anything can be done to help these turtles…they won't be able to live much longer, we really think speed is essential”. A British family holidaying in Tunisia was appalled to see two sea turtles on display in a very small tank containing what was described as dirty, shallow water at a well-known seafood restaurant in Jerba. They were being kept for decorative purposes, beside a replica of a boat, in order to enhance the seafood restaurant's décor and atmosphere and to attract customers. This heart-wrenching sight prompted the family, on their return to the UK, to contact the RSPCA who gave them MEDASSET's email address. On receipt of the message MEDASSET immediately alerted numerous environmental agencies and authorities in Tunisia. Contact was made with the Regional Activity Centre for Special Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) of the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) in Tunis, the Association for the Protection of Nature and the Environment (APNE) in Kairouan, the Agency for the Protection and Coastal Zone Management of Tunisia (APAL), the National Agency for the Protection of the Environment at the Ministry of Environment and the National Sea Sciences and Technologies Institute (INSTM) of Tunisia. A response came by return from APAL and RAC/SPA (UNEP/MAP) who informed us that arrangements were being made for the turtles to be confiscated and transferred to a rehabilitation centre in Monastir run by INSTM and APAL. On 26th June INSTM aided by APAL, sent an investigation team to the restaurant in Jerba where they found the two sea turtles – both loggerhead – still alive. Their rescue complete, the distressed animals were carefully transported to the Turtle Rescue Centre in Monastir for rehabilitation. The larger of the two, weighing 19 kg was found to be in better health and was released into the Mediterranean on 1st July – just nine days after that initial urgent message was received! The smaller, just 4.6 kg, needed longer rehabilitation and was released a little later when sufficiently recovered This story illustrates a fine example of cooperative effort, not only emphasising the importance of awareness and action by the general public, but also the effective collaboration of non-governmental, governmental and intergovernmental organizations. The rapid response by the Tunisian authorities, the efficient rescue and release of these ancient mariners, confirms commitment to ensuring the conservation of natural heritage. WELL DONE TO ALL CONCERNED!
Turtles Even Swim in the Beyond
Contributed by: Ruby Kamaka My Mom loved the ocean. She was born & raised & died on Oahu, HI. She was a swimming instructor & loved being near the water. When she died, her body was cremated. We'd promised one another that the first to die would try to contact the survivor.
When we spread her ashes from a boat off Waikiki where she often taught swimming, a sea turtle (Honu) surfaced along side the boat. Minutes later, we saw a balloon drifting in the sky ... in the shape of a sea turtle.
Aloha,
Ruby | 
