Ursula signals, "OK" and that's because we have no signal for "YES!!! FINALLY!" 63K JPEG |
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We get up at 5 to write for two hours--unless of course we have to get up at 5 to drive into Lahaina to look in on a sea turtle nest. Then we exercise for an hour and a half. Then we eat bird seed and rope for breakfast. Sometimes, for a change, we eat rope and bird seed. Just in case you were envying us here on Maui...
We admit we were getting worried. Normally we resight Zeus on our first dive of the summer. He's certainly never later than the first week. This year, we were well into Week 3 and... no Zeus. By now we'd even resighted our black turtle, Ho'omalu. Even one of our feisty hawksbills saw fit to announce her presence.
Still, no Zeus.
We emailed George Balazs fretting over Zeus's absence and even considered the possibility old Zeus--old Zeus who's been at Honokowai non-stop since 1993--might actually be making a migration run to East Island, French Frigate Shoals.
Perhaps our venerable old male was taking one more kick at the kat.
Nearing the end of our dive on Friday, we decided to take one more tour of a section of reef in the hopes of finding something interesting. Lo and behold, tucked into a depression was a massive carapace--more military helmet than shell. It could only be Zeus.
As we drew closer we recognized the noble face of our dear friend. Our biggest pigeon had come home to roost. Even though we hadn't seen each other for over 10 months, Zeus allowed Ursula to slip in beside him for this picture. Ursula signals, "OK" and that's because we have no signal for "YES!!! FINALLY!"
Ursula signals, "OK" and that's because we have no signal for "YES!!! FINALLY!" 63K JPEG |
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Our alpha-male answered roll call and our Ohana is richer for it. It would have been a lesser summer without Zeus, and a fretful winter back in Canada wondering if he was all right.
This was a Banner Week in that we also resighted our black turtle, Ho'omalu. To our complete surprise and delight, she was resting in the Graveyard with four other turtles. Before we could get close we got another surprise.
Our tiniest turtle, Akebono, showed up and decided to annoy the much larger Ho'omalu. We have no idea why--Akebono just seemed to have a burr up her butt.
Akebono aimed straight for Ho'malu's face. Her purposeful actions suggested she was looking for the choicest part of Ho'omalu's anatomy upon which to lay down a bite!
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Akebono aimed straight for Ho'malu's face. 39K JPEG |
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Gentle as ever, Ho'omalu simply turned away from the little pest.
Gentle as ever, Ho'omalu simply turned away from the little pest. 40K JPEG |
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Like an insistent summer mosquito out for blood, Akebono tried again. At this point we thought it likely that the little turtle just wanted the real estate directly under the larger turtle.
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When a frontal "attack" didn't produce results, Akebono shifted to an approach from the rear. 41K JPEG |
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When a frontal "attack" didn't produce results, Akebono shifted to an approach from the rear. Whether her beak connected to Ho'omalu's right hind foot or whether Ho'omalu just finally wanted to be rid of the little pest we don't know.
Enough was enough, and the black turtle spread front flippers, heaved forward, and drove to the surface for air. This left a contented, smug (and tiny) Akebono with a place of her own.
The black turtle spread front flippers, heaved forward, and drove to the surface for air. 36K JPEG |
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Ddi we mention that we get up at 5 to write a sea turtle book? Except lately. Lately we've been getting up at 5 to look in on some eggs incubating in the sand of a Lahaina beach. The eggs were put there by a special turtle "5690".
We also check the nest after sunset. So far we've shone a flashlight each evening only to see no change in the sand--nothing, nada, no hint--that anything alive is happening underneath. Of course, it's still early--day 56 today. A normal incubation period is closer to 60 days.
We sit in the chairs kindly provided by the owners of the property where 5690 chose to lay her eggs. We get to sit there because George Balazs asked us to. The moon's waxing and with each evening, it throws more silver on the beach, the ocean, and on us.
We're completely happy there--soft summer night with a moon so bright we can read by it. We couldn't be any happier even underwater. It's magic sitting by a honu nest knowing that in the sand, eggs are waiting for just the right moment to bust out into tiny turtles.
This has all the makings of being our best summer yet.
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It's magic sitting by a honu nest knowing that in the sand, eggs are waiting for just the right moment to bust out into tiny turtles. 63K JPEG |
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Thanks to the people tagging nesting turtles on East Island and to George Balazs, we know that seven of our eleven female honu are away making more turtles. Also, males we've known for years like Nui and TAMU are also missing.
Still, it's wonderful to be in the company of those who are left. One turtle is especially delightful. Her name is Wana (Hawaiian for "ray of light"). She's a terrific photographic subject because she's confident and trusting of us.
On this occasion Wana had gulped a fresh supply of air and then head down, she drove deep and with purpose for the bottom.
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She drove deep and with purpose for the bottom. 34K JPEG |
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Ursula swam with her--not even trying for a photograph.
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Ursula swam with her--not even trying for a photograph. 57K JPEG |
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She was just totally happy to be watching such a beautiful honu use her rear feet steer to ensure a surprisingly graceful landing.
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Rear feet steer to ensure a surprisingly graceful landing. 74K JPEG |
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Well, we resighted one of the three hawksbills ('ea) who reside in these Honokowai waters. It was a clear, bright underwater morning and Kiniana was resting atop a coral ridge at South Park.
At one point she lifted to go for air and Ursula watched as Kiniana, sipping air from the surface, drifted downcurrent.
Then there appeared two dark cylindrical objects that Ursula first interpreted as fish; however, their aimless drifting nature soon made their origins apparent. They'd come directly from Kiniana. A hawksbill mid-morning bowel movement.
Quickly Ursula removed a plastic bag from her BC and perched herself directly under the descending fecal pellets. She selected the larger of the two, opened the bag wide and...
No major league center fielder could have caught that "fly ball" with more precision!
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No major league center fielder could have caught that "fly ball" with more precision! 46K JPEG |
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So now, in addition to the 15 green turtle fecal samples, we add one from an endangered species. Our goal is to obtain one hundred pellets collected at various depths. (It's important to have goals!) We'll send the vials to George Balazs in Honolulu who will ensure each sample is analyzed to determine the diet of each turtle who "donated" so generously to science.
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Week 4 Summary | ||||
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Summer of '02 at Honokowai | ||||
Turtle Happenings
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Who's Who Underwater at Honokowai | ||||
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Table of Contents | ||||
