Reporting the Violation of Laws Protecting Hawaiian Sea Turtles
For suspected law enforcement violations, such as killing, harming, or harassing a turtle please call the Federal or State Enforcement offices listed below:
| Island | Hours | Contact | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Islands | 24 hrs | NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement | 1-800-853-1964 / Oahu: (808) 541-2727 |
| Weekends, Holidays, and after-hours | State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement (DLNR-DOCARE) |
643-DLNR or
643-3567 |
|
| Hawaii (Hilo) |
State of Hawaii DLNR-DOCARE Hilo | 974-6208 | |
| Hawaii (Kamuela) |
State of Hawaii DLNR-DOCARE Kamuela | 887-6196 | |
| Hawaii (Kailua-Kona) |
State of Hawaii DLNR-DOCARE Kailua-Kona | 323-3141 | |
| Kauai | State of Hawaii DLNR-DOCARE Kauai | 274-3521 | |
| Lanai | State of Hawaii DLNR-DOCARE Lanai | 565-7916 | |
| Maui | State of Hawaii DLNR-DOCARE Maui | 873-3990 | |
| Molokai | State of Hawaii DLNR-DOCARE Molokai | 553-5190 | |
| Oahu | State of Hawaii DLNR-DOCARE | 587-0077 |
Important points to keep in mind:
- Sea turtles are listed and protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and wildlife laws of the State of Hawaii. All sea turtles, both dead and alive, are legally protected.
- These instructions apply exclusively to sea turtles. Please do not call 911 or any other private or government organizations.
- On weekends, Federal and State holidays, and after hours, please use the pager number provided above.
- Due to the considerable travel distances that may be involved, and the possibility of other turtle strandings occurring at the same time, a delay in response of three hours or more may occur. Please be patient. There is no harm whatsoever for a sea turtle to be out of the water for many hours, provided it is not in direct hot sunlight. In fact, sea turtles strand because they want to and need to be out of the ocean.
- Callers should be prepared to tell exactly where the turtle is located, whether it appears to be dead or alive, and the size of the animal (estimated weight or length of shell - can one person lift it, or will two or more persons be needed?).
- Due to safety considerations, personnel may not travel at night to isolated unfamiliar areas.
- If the turtle returns to the water before someone arrives, this is not necessarily bad. Some turtles, even ones with tumors, want to rest ashore for a period of time and they may do this regularly (called basking).
- The size and degree of decomposition of a dead stranded turtle could make it impossible or inappropriate to load and transport the turtle to the laboratory for scientific research. For such cases, the carcass will be marked as having been examined and disposal can occur by whatever sources/methods appropriate (C&C Disposal, etc.).
- DLNR-DOCARE Officers do not normally pick up stranded turtles, unless there is a law enforcement violation.
For more information, please call the PIFSC Marine Turtle Research Program: (808) 983-5730
