For as long as I have known him, my fiancé has been obsessed with turtles: tortoises, sea turtles, Ninja turtles, you name it. I always thought it was a cute quirk that made gift-giving a breeze. (You wouldn’t believe how many turtle mugs, posters, and plushies he has!)

Personally, I was never drawn to turtles – I much preferred the idea of a soft kitten or pup to a slow-moving, Salmonella-carrying reptile.

But last week, turtles became my #1 favorite animal. I went SNUBA diving (a mix of snorkeling and scuba diving) in Maui and got to see Honu (Green Hawaiian Sea Turtles) up close for the very first time. OMG, I fell in love! Unfortunately, these wonderful creatures are endangered. To learn more, I decided to visit the Marine Life Hale at the Sheraton Maui, where I was able to speak with a marine life specialist from the Maui Ocean Center. The specialist explained that, despite conservation efforts, many human actions continue to hurt the turtle population. While most of us are not out hunting and poaching turtles or their eggs, there are many less obvious actions that threaten the Honu. Now that I’ve had the pleasure of swimming with them, I can’t imagine a life without sea turtles and will be incorporating the marine specialist’s simple suggestions into my life.

Here are some of her top tips:

1. Use mineral sunscreens… or none at all

If the term “mineral sunscreen” makes you picture a lifeguard with his nose covered in thick white sunblock, think again. Modern mineral sunscreens sink into the skin and are usually considered reef-safe (like this one). Chemical sunscreens are not considered reef-safe because they use the active ingredient oxybenzone and its derivatives to protect your skin, which has been found to have a feminizing effect on many sea creatures, leading to lower birth rates.

Although mineral sunscreens are a great alternative, there has been relatively less research done on its active ingredients, zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Until we know more, the marine life specialist recommended wearing UPF clothing while in and around the water, for this protects the skin from sun damage without sunscreen. I am currently lusting after this super cute, turtle-friendly UPF suit.

2. Abstain from seafood

When fishermen submerge their nets to catch the Mahi Mahi on your plate, other creatures tend to get caught in the net and become “bycatch” – aka, victims of the seafood industry. Despite recent efforts to improve fishing practices, bycatch continues to be an issue, no matter how local, organic, or delicious the catch-of-the-day may be. Pass the tofu, please!

3. Educate yourself and others

If I hadn’t visited the Marine Life Hale, I would have never learned the importance of protecting turtles, nor would I have known how simple it was to do my part in protecting them. I encourage you to look into other ways to help the Honu and share your findings with others. When it comes to the state of endangered species and the health of our planet, sharing is caring.


How will you protect our oceans and the amazing animals in them? Beach clean-ups? Donations? One of the above suggestions? Let me know in the comments below!