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 | Te mau honu,the Sea Turtle, a long, long voyage
 www.airtahiti.aero > Actualités > Te mau honu,the Sea Turtle, a long, long voyage |
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Sea turtles held a special place in ancient Polynesian religion. Their sacred status guaranteed them relative protection since their meat was reserved only for the highest dignitaries of pre-European society. But when the ancient religion disappeared, turtles became extensively hunted for food. Today, they are being protected once again and are finding their place once more in the natural and cultural heritage of French Polynesia.
The 118 islands of French Polynesia are encircled by 5.5 million square kilometers (over 3 million square miles) of ocean. This marine expanse, which is a greater area than that of Western Europe, is home to some of the most captivating and fascinating creatures in the animal world, sea turtles. During the reign of the dinosaurs some 200 million years ago, turtles already existed. They have survived cataclysms, climactic changes, and waves of extinction and today they are still here making their incredible voyages across the Pacific Ocean (moana patitifa in Tahitian).
All turtles found in French Polynesia are marine species. They live their lives almost entirely in the ocean and rarely going on land other than to lay their eggs. Most commonly seen are the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), green turtle (Chelonya mydas) and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). However, it is possible to come across loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea).
The turtles found in French Polynesia attain impressive sizes: the average length (for green turtles) is 1.2 meters (4 feet) and the weight is around 150 kg (330 lbs). The creatures also live exceptionally long lives: about 80 years. Their feeding areas are generally found in coral reef zones and on sandy bottoms. They eat mostly sea sponges, plankton, algae and jellyfish. The green turtle (Chelonya mydas) is distinguished by its strictly vegetarian diet from around 15 years of age onwards (eating mostly marine algae found in the lagoons).
© Left : Tim-mckenna.com - Right : C. Ciccullo - Tahiti Tourisme
Distance travelers
At the heart of myths and legends
Linked to power
From sacred to protected
Te Mana o Te Moana Association
The legend of the three turtles of marae Te-Vai-Toa, Raiatea
Most common sea Turtles in Polynesia
Distance travelers
On land the tortoise might be the symbol of slowness but in the water a sea turtle can swim over many hours at a speed of around 20 to 30 km per hour (12 to 18 miles per hour). They surface only every 20 minutes to breathe. But the most extraordinary feat of sea turtles are the exceedingly long distances they travel. Leatherback turtles seen in the ocean around the Austral and Marquesas archipelagos, travel all the way across the South Pacific to the coasts of French Guyana in South America. There they lay their eggs before coming back to French Polynesia, their feeding grounds. Turtles also make the 4,000 km (about 2,500 miles) long trip across the Pacific between Tonga and French Polynesia. In order to accomplish these immense voyages, the turtles have to have an incredible sense of direction. Scientific researchers think that the turtles use magnetic fields, ocean currents, temperature variations and even celestial navigation (reading the stars) to navigate their way around the ocean. The animals can, with incredible precision, return to the beach where they were born some twenty years later. They lay their eggs at their own birth-place perpetuating a long life cycle.
It’s very rare for an individual sea turtle to establish itself permanently in an aquatic zone as migration is a part of its way of life. Even though they swim across the open ocean, turtles particularly like the shallow waters around Polynesian beaches, especially for feeding. The waters of the South Pacific are attractive to turtles for their food-rich coral reefs, which are essential for hawksbill turtles. Numerous beaches around the islands are also potential reproduction sites. Such sites are found on the atoll of Mopelia off of Maupiti and Scilly Atoll (in the Society Archipelago) and on the island of Tahaa.
© Left : Tim-mckenna.com - Right : P. Bacchet
At the heart of myths and legends
Sea turtles (honu in Tahitian) of course held an important place in Polynesian legend and myth. Turtles are described in traditional mythology as a sacred animal created by Tu-moana-urifa and his wife Rifarifa, the first inhabitants of the isle of Raiatea, the legendary cradle of Polynesian civilization.
Sea turtles were thought to have been sent by the powerful ocean gods. Their ability to travel thousands of miles made them highly respected by the trans-Pacific navigating Polynesians. By following these turtle travelers, Polynesians had a greater chance of finding land themselves. A strong bond was thus created between the Polynesians and the turtles, both great ocean travelers.
To emphasize their sacred nature and give the animals a religious dimension, Polynesians made many stone engravings of turtles. Unfortunately, few remain but these petroglyphs show the importance accorded to turtles in ancient times. The engravings are found mostly in the Society Islands around marae (ancient temples), which are surrounded by basalt stones and/or coral. Engravings are also found in the Marquesas. The presence of these designs is not to be taken lightly. The turtle was an animal with religious connotations and therefore to sacrifice one was to honor the gods, as has been attested by European explorers who observed this practice.
Linked to power
In the Marquesas Archipelago the sacrifices were mostly of the green turtle, Chelonia mydas. After the offering, the head was suspended near the alter of the marae (mea’e in Marquesan). The offering of green turtles took place during funerals in order to appease the spirit of the deceased and permit them to move on to the beyond. The organization of these funeral rites ended by the same rituals. The turtles were objects of legend and sacred beliefs and their destinies were linked to these high chiefs and people of high social rank. Therefore, Polynesians strictly reserved the meat to feed the gods, kings, priests and great warriors. These sacrifices were made at the marae. The meat was a sacred offering and was very rare since it was weighted down with the religious laws of tapu. Anyone who went against the tapu was subject to punishment and divine curses.
Turtles were also valued for the hardiness and shininess of their scales. Some chiefs’ costumes were decorated with these scales. Archaeologists have found striking crowns (called pa’e kea) made of turtle scales and feathers as well as spectacular earrings (uuhe) on the Marquesan island of Nuku Hiva. Polished, worked and sometimes bent, the gleaming scales were worn with pride during festivals that took place all over Eastern Polynesia. Oral tradition has passed down stories of the exceptional brightness of these decorations. The stylized representations of turtles were also one of the key symbols in Polynesia tattoo art. The meaning of the turtle symbol varied depending on the island and the situation, but often it meant wisdom and longevity or could symbolize a long voyage.
© Left : H. Barnaud - Right : P. Bacchet
From sacred to protected
Turtles were in a sense protected by the tapu system and centuries of being considered sacred. Hunting and consuming turtles was limited by keeping this activity available only to the elite classes. The abandonment of these ancient beliefs and the evangelization of the islands around the beginning of the 19th century marked the end of this protection. The strict laws that made eating turtle meat punishable by death were removed by Pomare V in the 1890s. The consequences of this act were disastrous. The hunt for turtle meat, which often meant easily captured laying females on the beach, developed significantly. Vulnerable because of their need to breathe at the surface, turtles became the prey of intense hunting. The advent of motorized fishing boats further raised the yields. Because of all this, the marine population underwent significant repercussions.
For over 30 years now, multiple international legislative measures have been put in place to protect turtles in a race against the real danger of the extinction of the species. Awareness is being spread throughout French Polynesia and the world.
In the heart of the South Pacific, French Polynesia today makes up a giant sanctuary for turtles in danger: green turtles, hawksbill turtles and leatherback turtles. Their capture either in water or on land is forbidden as is collecting their eggs. The most frequent nesting sites such as Scilly Atoll, are protected.
Today Polynesians are conscious of the importance and value of turtles. The animals are part of the natural and cultural heritage of the country. After having been placed under the protection of ancient gods, they have now found their destiny once again in the hands of man. Today sea turtles can again hope to continue their eternal voyages that have already taken them across hundreds of millions of years of history.
© Te mana O Te Moana
Te Mana o Te Moana Association
Te Mana O te Moana means «the spirit of the ocean» in Tahitian. Created in 2004 and headed by the veterinarian Cécile Gaspar, this association participates in studies and research projects on Polynesian marine flora and fauna. Beyond its mission to educate the public, the association also puts programs in place to protect and follow cetacean species, turtles, fish and coral. The members of the association take care of weakened and injured turtles then free the animals once they are rehabilitated.
www.temanaotemoana.org
The legend of the three turtles of marae Te-Vai-Toa, Raiatea
The beautiful Tehaotoa lived quietly on the island of Raiatea till the day her husband Pofatu left her for a much younger woman. Pofatu had no more interest in his wife and left home. Tehaotoa set off to find him guided by her protector god who came to her in the form of a little cuckoo, uriri. In despair she went to Opiti, Punarii and Reiauratetaipaaroa but all in vain. She followed his trail despite her fatigue and constant tears. She finally arrived at the seaside and decided to rest. Here she met two other women who had also been abandoned by their husbands and so they all became friends. They sang of their misfortunes in a melancholy song (ute). Their husbands were so touched by the singing that they came to ask for forgiveness but without success. The protector gods then transformed the three women into little turtles engraved into a rock. The god of Tehaotoa then transported them to the island of Maupiti and from this day on the pass of Maupiti has been very difficult to navigate. It’s said that it’s the sobbing of the three turtles that make the impressive waves.
© L. Ballesta - Tahiti Tourisme
Most common sea Turtles in Polynesia
- The hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, is distinguished by its hooked beak (for which it’s named), the four scales between its eyes and the overlapping character of the scales on its shell.
- The green turtle, Chelonya mydas, has a more rounded head with two scales between its eyes and its scales are arranged next to each other and do not overlap. The green turtle owes its name to the striking color of the fat on its pectoral fins.
- The leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, doesn’t lay its eggs in French Polynesia. It gets its name because of the unusual texture of it skin. Instead of scales, this turtle is entirely covered in hard skin, much like leather.
© Tim-mckenna.com
Text : Laura Deso
Translation : Celeste Brash
Thank you to Cécile Gaspar and the Te Mana O te Moana association.
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