Traditionally, sea turtles were incorporated into native practices, religious ceremonies, and diet. Shells, bones and oil were used to make fish hooks, tools, medicine, and jewelry. Harvest was tightly regulated by traditional management practices of the kapu system (cultural rules and code of conduct) enacted by Hawaiian chiefs or ali’i.

The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and is found throughout the main Hawaiian Islands. Historically, green sea turtles were abundant and nested throughout the entire Hawaiian Archipelago. However, after European colonization (around 1819), the kapu prohibition system began to erode. During the 20th century, the numbers of Hawaiian sea turtles dropped precipitously as harvests intensified and became commercialized. In 1978, green turtles received protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and harvest was prohibited. The population has increased over the last 2 decades by 5.4% per year with almost 800 females nesting annually (compared to 35 turtles in 1973). The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and in the main Hawaiian Islands, is mainly found around Hawaii Island. Both species rest under the management responsibilities of the State of Hawaii and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its National Marine Fisheries – Protected Resources Division. Three additional species of marine turtles occur within Hawaiian waters but their appearances are not common. These include the endangered loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the endangered leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and the endangered Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).

In Hawaii, the key threats to sea turtles are fishery interactions (i.e. hookings and entanglement), boat strikes, coastal development, pollution, disease tied to humans, human disturbance and illegal hunting.

As the number of marine turtles has increased in Hawaii in recent years, so has the incidence of basking as well as situations involving turtle health and species recovery such as strandings, fishery entanglement, cases of Fibropapillomatosis (tumors), nest/hatchling disturbance and predation, and turtle deaths on shorelines. To address these incidents NOAA has entered into an agreement with HMAR to act as first responders on the island of Oahu and to perform needed interventions and transport involving sea turtles.

Learn more about the key threats to Hawaii’s sea turtles.