A Green Sea Turtle Adventure

By Rico Leffanta

A recent edition of the “Oahu Island News” featured “The Art & Science of the Green Sea Turtle.” So I grabbed a copy to see what more I could learn about this elusive creature.

“The Honolulu Advertiser,” and the “Honolulu Star-Bulletin” then featured articles about green sea turtles basking in the sun on Laniakea Beach. I decided it was time to go there, and see the turtles for myself

I couldn’t find “Laniakea Beach” on any of the tourist maps, nor on any telephone directory maps, so I called The Bus for directions. That truly was the beginning of my green sea turtle adventure!

The Bus operator had never heard of Laniakea Beach; she asked other operators, and they eventually reached a consensus that it was somewhere around La‘ie.

I knew Laniakea Beach wasn’t near La‘ie — I’ve been to all those beaches. So I called the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).
After a good 20-minutes of listening to telephone messages explaining why this person, that person, and the other person was not available to answer the telephone, I called the Governor’s office, and was transferred to another person who didn’t know, but who gave me another number to call ad infinitum until I reached a “civil” servant who didn’t have a clue where Laniakea Beach was located, but suggested I call the City & County of Honolulu Parks and Recreation Department, where neither answering machine nor person knew where Laniakea Beach was located – and had zero interest in finding out what it was!

Then inspiration struck! Why not call a politician? I called the office of Council Chairman Dela Cruz and BINGO! I was immediately informed Laniakea Beach is located on the North Shore, and told exactly when and where to pull The Bus #52 cord for the stop (“when you see all the horses under the tree in the big pasture mauka”.

As soon as The Bus drove away, I was disappointed! Laniakea Beach is more of a local dog run than a beach. Other than signs requesting attention and concern for green sea turtles, all I saw were unleashed, flea-bitten dogs roaming up and down a thin strip of sand. I decided to walk back to Hale’iwa, looking for seashells along the way, but after passing the first house, I saw a nice patch of clear water. Irresistible! I jumped in, and went snorkeling.
It wasn’t long before I saw several green sea turtles, but they were not a welcome sight! All of them had missing flippers, damaged shells, or were afflicted with horrible fibropapilloma tumors.

After splashing about without finding anything new or remarkable, I turned back toward shore and saw a bright red fishing float bobbing up and down.
My first instinct was to get out of there fast before some fisherman cast a four-inch hook into my back. Then I noticed the float was attached to a green sea turtle, and it was swimming right at me!

I took a couple of photos before it dawned on me that the turtle’s right flipper was cinched so tight by fishing line, it was about the size of a toddler’s wrist!
What to do?

I knew green sea turtles were an endangered/threatened species, and that it is illegal to approach/touch them, but this turtle was clearly in a predicament. Fishing line ran from her flipper to her mouth, and I didn’t know if it was because this turtle had swallowed a hook, or if she was just trying to pull the line off of her flipper.

I decided to risk it, and set about trying to unravel the fishing line. The turtle “hung loose” until I reached a place where the line was really snarled, then she instinctively pulled away from me.

In no time at all, I learned I was no match for a turtle in the open sea, despite the difference in size!

Like the Cavalry coming to the rescue, suddenly I saw surfer Lane Davey heading to shore, and hollered to her for help. Lane said she would call it in as soon as she got home, and if no one from NOAA could respond, she would come back straight away with a pair of scissors to cut the fishing line.
In the meantime, I tried to herd the turtle ashore so the operation could commence in a timely manner.

Big surprise! I quickly learned that I was no match for a determined turtle on shore! The turtle used her superior knowledge to catch the next wave out, dragging me along behind like a rag doll!

Eventually, I let go and soon lost track of her. Back on shore I met NOAA’s angel, Cori Wilbanks. We sighted the turtle again, but Cori decided the current was too strong for a rescue attempt, so we would just have to wait until the turtle beached herself.

I waited around the beach for several hours with no luck at all, and decided to head for home. Just as I reached The Bus stop, Cori gave a shout, and there was the turtle waving a bright red fishing float as it struggled ashore!

Cori recognized the turtle as NOAA’s “L6”, and with the help of a few volunteers, set about cutting the fishing line from the flipper of a very uncooperative turtle patient! Then, without any sign of gratitude, “L6” decided it was naptime.

According to George Balazs, NOAA Turtle Research Program leader, the fishing line was cinched so tight around her flipper that any further delay may have resulted in amputation.

So the fishermen lost and NOAA won one more battle to save the green sea turtle.

Although this may appear to be a happy ending to a green sea turtle adventure, it isn’t.

“L6” may have escaped amputation this time, but we all know that fishermen will continue casting their fishing lines amongst divers, surfers, swimmers and turtles, just like we know people will continue to let their pets run loose on the beach.

Aloha isn’t just a saying; we must all live it.

Rico Leffanta is a retired senior citizen and lives in Honolulu.

New federal regulations concerning “accidentally” hooking a green sea turtle can be found on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wed site at: http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/pir/news/sbst.pdf with a copy of the handling regulations at:
http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/pir/ghhst.htm.