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Kahoolawe staff confirm first documented honu nesting on the island; two hatchlings rescued and released
Summary
Staff reported the first confirmed documented sea-turtle (honu) nesting on Kahoolawe and described an overnight hatching of a 71-egg nest; two hatchlings were excavated, rescued and subsequently released, which staff described as a 100% success for the excavated nest.
Kahoolawe Island Reserve staff told the commission Sept. 24 that they confirmed a honu (green sea turtle) nest on Honokanai?a — the first documented, confirmed nesting on Kahoolawe in the staff’s review of records. During the access, an overnight hatching produced a nest of 71 eggs; staff excavated the nest to assist vulnerable hatchlings and rescued two individuals that otherwise likely would not have survived. Both hatchlings were released, and staff described the excavated nest as achieving a 100% success rate after intervention.
Dean (restoration staff) thanked commissioners for approving the prior investigation and said the discovery and successful excavation allowed the team to preserve hatchlings that would likely have perished. “That nest … was a total of 71 eggs,” he said, noting two hatchlings were rescued and released and that staff considered the event an important milestone for the island’s habitat restoration work.
The commission played a short video of the release for members and discussed the conservation significance; commissioners welcomed the development and asked staff to continue documentation and monitoring to support future habitat and access planning.
Next steps: staff plan to continue monitoring, document observations in the shared database funded by an IMLS grant, and coordinate with partner agencies for any future surveys and monitoring work on the island.
