Turtle Town Maui

Go on an adventure to one of the best spots to view turtles on Maui

With its gentle waves and abundant tropical marine life, Turtle Town is Maui’s hidden gem that simply cannot be missed.

Where is Turtle Town?

One of Maui’s most popular snorkeling locations, Turtle Town is a must visit destination for an innumerable number of guests visiting the island. That being said, you may find yourself asking, “Where is Turtle Town, anyway?”
Well, the truth is that there is not just one spot that goes by the nickname Turtle Town, but multiple throughout the Hawaiian Islands! Most of the time when people refer to Turtle Town here on Maui, they are specifically referring to Malauka Beach. Malauka Beach is a stretch of coastline located between Nahuna Point and Black Sand Beach Maui in the southern district of Makena.

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Maluaka Beach

Maluaka Beach is located at the end of Makena, accessible through an entrance just off the main road.

This beautiful beach is suitable for a variety of activities due to its location – because it is positioned behind Mount Haleakala this beach is guarded from predominant trade winds, assuring that the gorgeous sparkling waters remain calm. Additionally, the sand at this beach is soft – perfect for digging your toes into as you work on your tan under Maui’s radiant sun.

Free public parking lot is available in the lot across the street from the Keawalai Church, and there are showers and restrooms available a couple hundred yards north of the beach. This beach has no lifeguard on duty.

Turtle Town

You may find yourself wondering, “How did this area earn the Turtle Town nickname?” Well, it is because there are an abundance of the protected Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles that call Turtle Town home! The turtles swim in both deep and shallower waters, as they have no problem dining on seaweed in only a few inches of water.

A lovely network of coral reefs can be found at Turtle Town. The reefs are home to an eclectic variety of stunningly colorful tropical fish. One type of

fish that live in the coral reefs at Turtle Town is the surgeonfish. A common sight to see is the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles going through a ‘turtle car wash’ where they have their shells cleaned by surgeonfish! These beautiful creatures have certainly learned how to live in amity with one another.

Aside from the colorful surgeonfish and friendly turtles, there is a plethora of other marine life that can be found here. Some of the awe-inspiring creatures you’ll find here are as follows:

Butterflyfish

(Chaetodontidae)

Damselfish

(Pomacentridae)

Humuhumunukunukuapuaa

(Rhinecanthus)

Parrotfish

(Scaridae)

Blacktip Reef Shark

(Carcharhinus melanopterus)

Honu
(Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle)

Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles (scientific name: Chelonia mydas) are naturally friendly creatures that were hunted for their skin, shell, and meat until their population numbers fell dangerously low. It is because Honu (Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles) are inherently friendly creatures that they do not avoid human contact, which is why they nearly went extinct.

In 1978 they were declared an endangered species and gained federal protection.
Lifespan

The lifespan of the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is unknown; however, it is believed that they live up to 80 years! Furthermore, they are unable to reproduce until they reach sexual maturity between the ages of 25-30. Some of these turtles don’t reproduce until well into their 40’s!
Despite having the word green in its name, the carapace of the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is actually dark brown, and when they lie still their shells are often mistaken for rocks!

Baby turtles, known as hatchlings, have hard black shells. As they age, their shells may take on orange or yellowish tints. Occasionally they might develop gold or reddish brown hues with swirls or other irregular patterns.
The word green in their name actually comes from the color of their body fat!

That’s right – the body fat of honu (Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles) is green! It has been shown in multiple studies done by marine biologists that their body fat turns green due to the quantity of algae that is ingested by the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle. Algae are an abundant food source available around the coral reefs in Turtle Town.
The honu (Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles) who live at Turtle Town are attracted by the large quantities of food that is readily available.

While some marine biologists speculate that turtles return to the beach that they were born at, other marine biologists believe that Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles show “site-fidelity”. which means that they choose to create habitats in areas that have food in abundance. As long as there is a food source available the turtles will continue to return.
Old Hawaiian legend

Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles are capable of staying submerged for more than two hours, but they have a habit of surfacing for air every few minutes. Old Hawaiian legend says that honu (Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles) led the first people to discover the Hawaiian Islands – a story that is likely attributable to this turtle’s tendency to frequently surface for air while it swims.

When they are not swimming, the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle can be found sunning themselves on the sandy beach, basking under the glow of Maui’s radiant sun. It is believed that sunbathing is a way for them to regulate their body temperature.

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Swimming at

Turtle Town

Snorkeling Turtle Town Maui is a popular activity. From diving to SUP, people find themselves in awe of the amazing marine life found in the waters of Turtle Town. They may be found relaxing on the ocean floor, at their “turtle car wash“, or simply gliding effortlessly through stunningly clear waters. Our snorkel tours visit after a Molokini Crater stop.

Please remember, while it is exciting being near the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle they are still on the endangered species list and under federal protection. Those who attempt to ride, touch, feed, or in any way harass a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle will see themselves find up to $100,000 per violation, and may even receive jail time! It is recommended that you stay at least 15-feet away from the turtles when they are on land so as not to disturb them in the event that they are trying to sleep.

While you may not actively approach a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle whether on land or in the sea, they are allowed to approach you! Swimming slowly and calmly will create a scenario in which the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle will be more inclined to approach you.

Prepare yourself to make lifelong memories at this special South Maui location where honu will swim by as though they were saying, “hello”, and you will be wowed by colorful tropical fish.

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Redline Rafting embraces its responsibility in sharing and perpetuating the culture, nature and people of Hawai’i correctly and respectfully. We proactively work with cultural advisors to illustrate this commitment. Specific to this website, we recognize the proper use of the ‘okina [‘], a consonant, and the kahakō [ō] or macron in the Hawaiian language, and we are working to apply them when we can. If they are omitted, it is to provide you with the best online experience. We continue to use them on other communication practices.
Mahalo.