Baby honu arrive at Turtle Lagoon
Six green sea turtle hatchlings relocate from Sea Life Park Hawaii
Turtle hatchling prior to measuring and being renumbered -- Photo courtesy Maui Ocean Center
Taking measurements -- Photo courtesy Maui Ocean Center
Inspection by an aquarist -- Photo courtesy Maui Ocean Center
Turtle morphometrics with aquarists Chelsea Co (front) and Leslie Hoeffken -- Photo courtesy Maui Ocean Center
The six hatchlings with their new IDs, ready for Turtle Lagoon. -- Photo courtesy Maui Ocean Center
Turtle hatchling prior to measuring and being renumbered -- Photo courtesy Maui Ocean Center
Taking measurements -- Photo courtesy Maui Ocean Center
Inspection by an aquarist -- Photo courtesy Maui Ocean Center
Turtle morphometrics with aquarists Chelsea Co (front) and Leslie Hoeffken -- Photo courtesy Maui Ocean Center
The six hatchlings with their new IDs, ready for Turtle Lagoon. -- Photo courtesy Maui Ocean Center
Trending
Maui Ocean Center, named one of the "Top 10 Aquariums in the World" by TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice, is proud to announce a new addition to its sea turtle ohana: six baby Hawaiian green sea turtles.
Relocated from a nesting colony at Sea Life Park Hawaii, a marine mammal park, bird sanctuary and aquarium in Waimanalo on Oahu, these hatchlings will reside at MOC for the next two years as ambassadors of their species until they are released to the ocean.
The three-month-old hatchlings spent a week undergoing a quarantine process behind the scenes at MOC. Aquarium staff monitored and acclimated the hatchlings to their new home. Last Tuesday, the hatchlings and Turtle Lagoon exhibit received a blessing by MOC's Hawaiian Cultural Advisor, Kahu Dane Maxwell, and are currently on exhibit for aquarium guests.
The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle Educational Loan Program, of which MOC, Sea Life Park Hawaii and other collaborating institutions are members, is authorized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, permitted by Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources and Division of Aquatic Resources, and conducted under the scientific advice of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.
This program provides an educational opportunity for those who visit those institutions to see the turtles grow and live in a habitat similar to their natural environment.
Once the hatchlings reach the age of two to three years, they are released into Hawaiian waters at agency-approved locations.
It is extremely rare to see Hawaiian green sea turtle hatchlings in Hawaii. Once they hatch, baby sea turtles leave coastal beaches and head to the open ocean. They develop during a period of their lifetime known as "The Lost Years," then return as sub-adult and adult sea turtles.
The exhibit at MOC allows guests a unique opportunity to see and learn about this period of the Hawaiian green sea turtle's development.
Since 1998, MOC has raised and released 74 Hawaiian green sea turtles. Two hatchlings will be exhibited at a time at Turtle Lagoon; the remaining turtles will remain behind the scenes with MOC's staff.
Aquarium guests can see the hatchlings at Turtle Lagoon, on Turtle-rrific Tuesdays or on Behind-the-Scenes tours.
MOC, located at 192 Maalaea Rd., Maalaea, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (final admission is 4:30 p.m.). Day Pass admission is $29.95 for guests 13 years and older; $26.95 for guests 65 years and older; and $19.95 for children 3 to 12 years. MOC offers U.S. Military and Hawaiii resident discounted admisison with valid I.D.
For more information, call 270-7000 or visit online www.mauioceancenter.com.