Legacy of Honu

There are some Hawaiian legends which said that turtles were the first to guide the Polynesians to the Hawaiian islands, while other myths attribute that to the golden plover. Nonetheless, there is a longstanding legend of a big green sea turtle, Kailua, who could turn itself into the form of a girl at will. In human form, she would look after the children playing on Punalu'u Beach.

Her mother, Honu-po'o-kea, was an exceptional, magnificent and some deemed supernatural, turtle and her head was pure white like the snows on the slopes of Mauna Kea. She dug a hole to lay a brown egg which was as beautifully and smoothly polished as Kailua wood. Her mate Honu-ea, who had been bobbing in the water waiting for her, crept up to shore and together, they dug a hole from which fresh water gushed to form a little pool.

The egg hatched into Kailua who lived at the bottom of the spring and she would turn herself into the form of a girl at will and in this form, would keep a careful eye on the children playing by the ocean. She became the turtle guardian of the keiki, and also brought with her the gift of fresh spring water to ancient Hawaiians.