We’ve been lucky enough to go to Hawaii again this year and it was amazing. We were able to catch up with great friends while we were there and swim in the most amazing beaches. Now that Eleanor is old enough to go in the water with us and hang out in a floatie, we would visit beaches and just hang out in the ocean for hours. It was so amazing to experience this with the kids. We are interested in unschooling and worldschooling so these experiences are great ways to test out those waters. We explored, talked about oceans, ocean life, marine animals, ecosystems, environment, etc. It’s amazing how much H soaks up the information when someone helps him experience it in the world around him.

Sea Turtles

We ventured up to North shore for one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. We had heard of Laniakea as an amazing beach for turtles but when we got there, the parking we packed and the waves were really choppy. So we went south just a mile or two to a different beach. We were there relatively early so it was still pretty quiet except for the surfers. The beach was pretty rocky and the waves still crashed hard enough that the kids weren’t willing to play by the water on their own. Right away though, we started to see little shell tops in the water as we spotted one sea turtle after another. After a while the kids really wanted to swim and it wasn’t until we found a little opening in the rocks that we felt safe entering the water. We waded in and laughed as the waves bobbed us up and down.

After a while, I asked Harry if he thought the turtles were still along the beach. Then all of a sudden a little head peaked out from behind him! He was probably only 5 yards away from Harry, maybe less. He disappeared back under the water and we played a little more. I turned to Harry and said all the turtles must be gone when all of a sudden I saw a shadow move underneath him. A turtle was directly underneath us! I shoved my camera under the water to take a few pictures. Harry and I started laughing hysterically. I think we were so giddy by the idea of being so close to this amazing creature we kind of lost our minds out there. The surfers probably thought we had lost it.

I think the turtle thought we were nuts too.

Anyways, it was incredible and I’m so grateful for the experience, especially for my kids. Last year was my first time even going to Hawaii and my kids are only 2 and 5 and have already swam with turtles!

girl swimming in ocean turtle under foot turtle swimming boy in waves girl on beach hawaiian sea turtle girl playing by turtle girl jumping in tide pools girl watching waves girl and daddy walking in tide pools family watcxhing qwaves