Idea #691 – Diving with hawksbill sea turtles
Turtle, called Honu in Tahitian, is a strong symbol of Polynesia. Very venerated by the people, it is present symbolically in many local legends. In French Polynesia, 5 of the 7 still living species in the oceans populate the fenua: the “Green” turtle, the “Nested” turtle, the “Lute” tortoise, the “Caouanne” turtle and the “Olivâtre” turtle. Threatened, the turtle is a protected animal since 1971 in territorial waters; oviposition sites known by the government have been classified as a “territorial reserve” and hunting, poaching or capture are totally prohibited.
Green turtles and hawksbill turtles are the most common species in Polynesian waters and can be observed easily at some dive sites, despite their increasing scarcity, especially on the Tikehau and Rangiroa atolls, but also in Moorea and Bora Bora. In our dives off Tahiti, we could count up to 6 hawksbill sea turtles during a dive!
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Tahiti, Polynésie Française, France
