King Quilt - Honu Beached (Turtle)

Hawaiian Sea Turtle (Honu) Legend has it that Hono-po'o-kea dug a shallow hole and laid an egg, as dark and smooth as polished kauila wood. Her mate, Honu-'ea, had been waiting offshore, his reddish-brown shell bobbing in the surf. As Honu-po'o-kea covered her nest, Honu-'ea joined her. Together the turtles dug into the black sand and created a spring. Then as silently as they had come, they disappeared into the ocean. In time, the egg hatched into a magical turtle named Kauila. Kauila made her home at the bottom of the freshwater spring that her parents had made. People called it Ka wai hu o Kauila, the rising water of Kauila. Children would come and play in the spring, and if they saw bubbles rising from its depths they knew that Kauila was sleeping. Sometimes Kauila would transform herself into a girl so that she could play among the kaiki. Always, she kept a watchful eye on the children, ensuring their safety. Honu are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and Wildlife l