Note: Sophie Elliott's photos were taken under the USFWS Recovery Permit TE72088A-3, Recovery Sub-permit TE163899-2, NOAA Permit 21260, and State of Hawaii, Department of Lands & Natural Resources Special Activity Permit 2026-01.
Dan Rapp's photos were taken under the USFWS Recovery Permit # TE-163899-2 at a safe distance with a telephoto lens.
Green sea turtles are heavily protected by the Endangered Species Act.
Midway Atoll is best known as home to the world's largest albatross colony. But among many remarkable residents is another species that is not often mentioned—the green sea turtle. This World Honu Day, we are delighted to share photos from Kuaihelani captured by former USFWS volunteer Sophie Elliott in January 2026, plus stellar photos taken by Dan Rapp in May 2026.
On Midway, Hawaiian green sea turtles, or honu, come ashore to bask in the sun for hours — which is something unique to the green sea turtle population in the Hawaiian islands. This allows USFWS crews – under permits from NOAA – a rare opportunity to conduct important conservation work, including flipper tagging, shell measurements for growth rates, shell code marking for resighting, biopsies, and health checks for injuries or lesions. led by Tammy Summers and Rachel Santulli lead the sea turtle monitoring on Kuaihelani, with help from volunteers. They use green protective boxes for the safety of both turtles and staff.
As Sophie measures the honu above in January 2026, she reflects, “Our crew was really lucky in that we got to do a lot of work with the Hawaiian green sea turtles that use Midway as a sunbathing spot. Usually, sea turtles only emerge from the sea to lay eggs, but here the turtles will crawl up the beaches and bask in the sun for hours on end.”
Most honu return directly to the sea, though some enjoy a few extra moments on the beach. Sophie states, “Work is conducted quickly to avoid stress to the turtle and when released, most turtles opt to immediately return to the sea, although some (like the one in the photo) choose to sit with us for a little longer!” Hands-off surveys from Cargo Pier, as shown in the picture above, also help teams count turtles, identify sex, and resight individuals by shell code.
Mahalo to the USFWS staff and volunteers for their dedication to this vital work. You can help ensure it continues.
Your support, at any level, helps write the next chapter in Kuaihelani's conservation story.
USFWS volunteer and biologist, Dan Rapp, used his telephoto lens at a safe distance to capture these beautiful moments of honu on Sand Island's beach called Hale Honu (turtle house) in May 2026.
