Beneath the wind-tossed waves off Maui’s peerless beaches swim happy green turtles. They are curious critters – often so curious they try to nibble the bubbles right off the top of your snorkel or the orbs coming out of your mouth while scuba diving. Don’t touch them! It’s illegal on Maui or anywhere else in Hawaii. Instead, just sit there, watch them gracefully fly through the water, and enjoy the fact that this is one of the best places on Earth to mingle with these critters. In the Hawaiian Isles live three species of sea turtles: the Green, the Hawksbill, and the Leatherback. The Green Turtle (Honu) plays an important role in Hawaii mythology and is a favored aumakua (animal spirit god affiliated with a family or group of people). The turtles at algae or limu (Hawaiian seaweed) and can weigh up to 400 pounds. Honu carapaces (upper shells) tend to be dark green with lighter flecks sprinkled liberally as it the turtle had swum through a cloud of gold sparkles. On Maui, two of the best turtle spotting locales are Turtle Town (near Lahaina) and Honolua Bay, a marine preserve adjacent to the Kapalua resort area.