Bearer of good luck

The Almighty Turtle: The turtle is the most ancient group of prehistoric species still in existence – it has roamed the earth for more than 200 million years*. To the Hawaiian people, the Honu is a symbol of good luck and longevity, among other things. The petroglyph of the Honu can be found throughout the islands, on memorabilia and artifacts alike.

I was fortunate enough to meet a few sea turtles in Hawaii in October. They are majestic creatures that soar, eyes wide open, through the blue waters of the Pacific. I went on a couple of shore dives off of Ka’anapali Beach near Lahaina, Maui. Though we only dove to 35 feet, the waters were silent in sound, but pact with life. The turtles almost creep up on you. All of the sudden you are looking deeply into a yellow and black school of butterfly fish and the next thing you know you are face to face with a turtle that seems to be peering into your soul, dispersing its wisdom onto you.

And it is wise. It must be, after living to nearly 100 years, and sometimes up to 400. But age is not always wisdom. To me, wisdom is the ability to adapt. The oceans have changed drastically over the last several million years. Pollution, fishing, hunting, climate change, coral destruction – all of these factors contribute to the harm of the sea turtle and other underwater life. However, despite natural and man-made factors, this species have continued to adapt, rooting us to our prehistoric past. We could all learn something from the turtle. Sure, slow and steady win the race, but grace and poise make the race look easy.