How I Helped Maui’s Baby Sea Turtles Crawl Safely Through The Sand and Swim Out To Sea

And the unique thank you gift that’s my favorite Maui souvenir

I will never forget the day I helped clear a path through the sand so baby sea turtles could make their way to the sea. Along with other Hawaii Wildlife Fund volunteers, I created a runway of smooth sand and watched the turtles crawl down it to their new home in the ocean.

After sea turtle hatchlings dig themselves out of their underground nest, they usually have to navigate an obstacle course to reach the water. Driftwood and uneven sand, along with litter humans have left on the beach, can be difficult for these tiny creatures to crawl over or around.

And the longer it takes to make the trip from sand to sea, the less likely baby sea turtles are to survive the journey. Birds, crabs, and other predators devour hatchlings that move slowly or get stuck in the sand.

But on that day, I helped make it easier for one group of baby turtles to make that trip.

And a few months later, at a party after turtle nesting season was over, I got a thank you gift I will always cherish. Hawaii Wildlife Fund staff presented every volunteer with a photo of a sea turtle hatchling crawling through the sand.

Each photo had three stickers on it. As you can see in the image above, the sticker in the top left corner says “Oneloa, Maui 2004.” Oneloa is the name of the beach where the turtles hatched. The sticker in the bottom right corner needs no explanation.

But the sticker in the top right corner is what makes this Maui souvenir so priceless. “Mahalo” is the Hawaiian word for “thank you,” with my name underneath it. The sticker looks like a quote spoken by the baby sea turtle on its way to the sea.

Sea turtles will always have a special place in my heart. I swam beside them often when I snorkeled in Maui’s waters. You can see photos from my many underwater encounters with sea turtles and other marine animals here:

Thanks to my volunteer work with Hawaii Wildlife Fund, I also had other memorable experiences. One night I watched an adult turtle crawl ashore, dig a nest, and lay her eggs. As I patrolled the beach at dawn one morning, I discovered fresh tracks a nesting turtle had left in the sand the night before.

I observed experts who had special permits excavate a nest a few days after the hatchlings emerged. Those experts collected and counted the egg remnants. They also carefully pulled out a few hatchlings still trapped in the nest.

Much to my delight, a state wildlife official placed one of those hatchlings in the palm of my hand!

I no longer live on Maui. Most of my sea turtle encounters now occur at aquariums. I hope to relocate to a seaside town with coral reefs close at hand someday!

But there is one sea turtle that will always be with me. It’s my only tattoo, which I got on Maui at the age of 40.

You may not be able to see or swim with them, but you can help sea turtles and other marine animals no matter where you live. Here are some suggestions:

• Reduce your use of plastics. They are deadly to marine animals.
• Donate to organizations like Hawaii Wildlife Fund and Surfrider.
• Use these reef friendly sunscreens (many others falsely claim to be).
• Do not purchase helium-filled balloons or release them into the air.
• See this list for other simple ways you can help.

If you enjoyed this story, check out these two from other writers about their marine life encounters (complete with amazing photos):

Dan Carlson’s story about scuba diving in the Red Sea.

Anne Bonfert’s story about masters of underwater camouflage.