Scuba Diving with Turtles in Maui
Don’t wait any longer—plan your trip to Maui and experience the thrill of scuba diving with turtles. The underwater world offers excitement unlike anything on the surface, and sea turtles are plentiful around the island. Our dive service in Lahaina knows the best spots to help you interact with these magnificent creatures.
If you love scuba diving with turtles, you’ll be fascinated to learn more about them. Here are 9 interesting facts about sea turtles:
- 1. The smallest sea turtle is the Kemp’s Ridley, while the largest is the leatherback. The heaviest leatherback on record weighed an astonishing 2,019 pounds! Typically, an adult turtle measures about 4 feet in width and weighs around 350 pounds.
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- 2. You shouldn’t attempt it, but sea turtles can drink seawater. They can ingest saltwater that could make a human sick but turtles are unharmed because they expel excess salt through a gland in their eyes.
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- 3. Green turtles don’t get their name from any visible characteristic; rather, it refers to the color of their inner fatty tissue. Maui is home to a significant population of Green turtles!
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- 4. Leatherback turtles can dive over half a mile deep to find prey, such as jellyfish!
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- 5. Determining the gender of adult turtles cannot be done by size alone. In Maui, male turtles have significantly longer tails than females.
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- 6. Green turtles conserve oxygen during dives by slowing their heart rate. Remarkably, a Green turtle’s heart beats only once every nine minutes during a five-hour descent.
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- 7. Green turtles are primarily herbivorous, preferring seaweed and algae; however, juvenile turtles enjoy a diet that includes worms, shellfish, and shrimp.
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- 8. Green turtles do not reach reproductive maturity until at least 20 years old, but they can continue to reproduce well into their 50s.
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- 9. In addition to the Hawaiian Islands, Green turtles can also be found in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and along Florida’s Atlantic coastline.
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Maui is home to 5 species of sea turtles, but you are unlikely to see a Leatherback, Loggerhead, or Olive Ridley near Maui. Divers and snorkelers in Lahaina most likely encounter Green Turtles and the occasional Hawksbill Turtle. Please always enjoy these beautiful animals without touching or disturbing them.
If you scuba dive in Maui just once, make it a memorable experience by booking your turtle diving adventure in Lahaina. We love the ocean and its inhabitants as much as you do and promise to organize an unforgettable dive every time!
