The Hawaiian green sea turtle is a protected creature in Hawaii, and if you venture onto many beaches in Maui, you might have the opportunity to see one, or several, swimming in turquoise waves, or resting immobile on a stretch of golden sand. Just remember to respect (ho’ihi) this beautiful creature’s space and give it lots of room (at least fifteen feet) as you admire it.
The honu is a symbol of good luck and abundance to native Hawaiians, and it also represents homecoming. The honu travels with a built-in home, its shell. See the parallel? Your Maui Van, your home on wheels, is a great way to connect with this enchanting Hawaiian icon, and feel at home wherever you travel.
A swimming honu might dive for 4-5 minutes at a time in search of the algae they love to eat, but they must resurface to breathe in oxygen in between dives. This is why you might see the swimming honu periodically poke its head up from the water.
Among the many magical experiences of a Maui camping vacation, sighting a honu sleeping or swimming at a distance from this incredible creature (so ancient a species that they swam along dinosaurs in the Jurassic period), ranks at the top. So does traveling like one.