Becoming Honu Heroes

Big or small, every action we take to be stewards of this one precious earth make a difference in preserving and protecting it for as long as possible. At Privateer HQ in Maui, to celebrate Earth Day our team joined the Maui Ocean Center for a beach clean up as part of their Honu Heroes program.

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We started at the Kahana Pond Wildlife Sanctuary. A national landmark, it was also the first sanctuary in the islands. However, the most immediate takeaway is that there was a remarkable amount of garbage for a place that provides habitat for over 100 native plant and invertebrate species, and 86 bird species. We’re happy that we were able to join in keeping it beautiful.

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Next stop was Kahana Beach Park where we were lucky enough to see Honu (Hawaiian sea turtle)!! Considered guardian spirits and omens of good luck, honu are the only remaining indigenous reptile in the Hawaiian Islands today, and one of the most threatened species. Because most plastics can resemble jellyfish, a large part of honu’s diets, many of them tend to eat them, choke on them, and even end up with them wrapped around their organs.

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Sea turtles aren’t the only creatures affected by this. Big plastic pieces on the beach can look like rocks once it’s eroded, but after a while, it becomes micro plastic. As fish ingest them, and we ingest fish, tiny micro plastics end up in our bloodstream.

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At the end of the day, we are ALL impacted by pollution, and it’s on us to ensure that future generations have a healthy planet to call home. 

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Thanks for coming along with us today! Go outside, enjoy the only planet we get, and do one thing today (big or small) to protect and appreciate it. And for more info on how to become a Honu Hero yourself, visit https://mauioceancenter.com/.

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