Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

Honu Count: Report sightings of numbered sea turtles in Hawaii

by NOAA Fisheries 5 Feb 2023 18:56 GMT
Basking sea turtles shell etchings © NOAA Fisheries

Have you ever wanted to participate in exciting research? Do you love watching turtles? Your dream has come true! NOAA Fisheries has launched a new online survey to report sightings of sea turtles with white numbers and letters etched temporarily on their shells.

What is honu count?

Honu Count is a citizen science project that started in 2017. It's a way for the public to engage in sea turtle research and conservation by reporting turtles they see with shell etchings around Hawai'i. Previously, sightings were reported through phone calls or emails. This new online system makes it easier to report sightings and helps researchers more accurately track honu locations.

The Honu Count survey can even be accessed through your smartphone, allowing anyone to report in real time. A map is generated on the survey, allowing the user to place a pin of the sighting, giving researchers exact coordinates of the turtle's location.

Why is honu count important?

Sea turtles have internal compasses that use the earth's geomagnetic signposts to help them navigate back to the beaches where they were hatched, to reproduce. Most mature honu that live around the main Hawaiian Islands travel northwest during the spring to reproduce at Lalo, or French Frigate Shoals. That's an atoll in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. This round-trip migration begins at their foraging habitats around the main Hawaiian Islands and extends more than 500 miles to Lalo. T

his public science opportunity provides NOAA Fisheries with valuable data on locations where sea turtles eat and live. This allows scientists to:

  • Track population abundance
  • Monitor the recovery of rehabilitated turtles
  • Understand migration destinations of nesting honu returning to marine habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands

How do I report a honu sighting safely?

Visit our Honu Count page to learn tips for safe viewing and reporting. NOAA Fisheries encourages the public in Hawai'i to observe turtles from a responsible distance of at least 10 feet, even when attempting to get a photo of shell etchings for reporting purposes.

If you spot an injured or a dead animal, call NOAA's Marine Wildlife Hotline: (888) 256-9840.

Related Articles

RS Feva UK National Championships
Big winds, fancy dress and competitive racing The sun might have stayed hidden this bank holiday weekend, but the wind certainly showed up in force for the 2025 RS Feva National Championships. Over 90 dinghies from across the UK gathered at Dalgety Bay Sailing Club in Scotland. Posted on 28 May
Dutch Youth Regatta - EuroCup 6 is about to begin
Making waves right away is Sweden's Henric Wigforss, the Optimist World Champion Get ready - 43 teams from eight countries are set to hit the water for one of the most exciting youth sailing events of the year! Posted on 28 May
Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta day 1
Ideal conditions for starting the Southern Wind RendezVous and Trophy The 2025 edition of the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta, organised by the YCCS with the support of title sponsor Giorgio Armani, got under way right on time today, 28 May 2025 at 11.30 a.m. on the waters off Porto Cervo. Posted on 28 May
CIC Normandy Channel Race day 4
Heavy two-way traffic in the Celtic Sea Virtually all the fleet has now rounded the compulsory Chaussée de Sein passage mark off the west coast of Brittany. The Class40 Bleu Blanc Planète Location is currently bringing up the rear after a pit stop in Roscoff to repair a cracked rudder bearing. Posted on 28 May
America's Cup Power Plays
And Growing Sailing Through Learning There's always so much speculation and intrigue in-between each edition of the America's Cup. Everyone wants to know what is happening behind closed doors, inside the teams, and when the Challengers meet with the Defender. Posted on 28 May
Northern Irish sailors shine at RS Feva Nationals
Ben McCaldin finished as first junior All Northern Irish sailors made it into the Gold Fleet, which represents the top selection of boats after the initial races, highlighting the quality of local sailors here in Northern Ireland. Posted on 28 May
Europe class UK Nationals runners and riders
Some big names are in the mix this weekend at Stokes Bay As the 2025 UK Europe National Championships approach, anticipation is building for what promises to be one of the most competitive events in recent memory. With a stacked fleet of seasoned champions, fresh talent, and local heroes all eyeing the title. Posted on 28 May
2025 is going to be a huge season for IMOCA
Antoine Mermod talks about the season ahead Over the next four years the most exciting monohull class in world offshore ocean racing will take on no less than 17 races, covering tens of thousands of miles of the world's oceans. Posted on 28 May
America's Cup enthusiastically received in Naples
The Castel dell'Ovo, was the venue for the arrival of the America's Cup in Napes The Castel dell'Ovo, set on the tuft peninsula of Megaride was the outstanding setting for the Official Host Venue Presentation of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup. Posted on 28 May
PredictWind JOG Cowes to Deauville Race
A landmark and one of the highlights of the calendar JOG Yacht Racing's Bank Holiday race got away from a committee boat start and a line managed by the Royal London Yacht Club off the Royal Southern buoy, marking the parentage of a race first started in 1962 with the Yacht Club de Deauville. Posted on 28 May