The Sea Turtle Rules on Oahu

No, you may not touch a sea turtle in Hawaii, or chase, ride, feed or crowd one. Hawaii’s green sea turtles, honu, are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act and under Hawaii state law, and both make it illegal to harass or harm them. Hawaii’s natural-resources department, DLNR, says touching or feeding a turtle in any way is a disturbance and illegal. Under state law a first offence is a misdemeanor, with a fine of at least $250, up to a year in jail, or both. The distance to keep is 10 feet (3 meters), in the water and on the sand: that figure is NOAA’s and the state’s guidance rather than a legal line, and keeping it is how you stay clear of the law.

The law, in two layers

Federal. Hawaii’s green turtles are their own population, the Central North Pacific population, found nowhere else, and since 2016 it has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Hawksbills, honu’ea, are endangered. The Act forbids anyone to “take” a listed animal, and “take” means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect it, or to try to. It applies to every person, not only to boats or businesses. NOAA Fisheries looks after turtles in the water and the US Fish and Wildlife Service turtles basking or nesting on land.

Hawaii. State law, chapter 195D of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, gives every federally listed species the same status in Hawaii and uses the same definition of “take”. Breaking it is a misdemeanor on a first offence, with a fine of no less than $250, up to a year in prison, or both, and a class C felony on a repeat. DLNR can also impose administrative fines: $2,500 to $5,000 for a first violation, rising to $10,000 to $20,000 for a third.

What that means in the water and on the sand

From NOAA Fisheries’ Hawaii viewing guidance and green turtle brochure, DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources and its 2025 wildlife flyer, and chapter 195D of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

A NOAA rule of thumb for the distance: make a shaka, and if the whole turtle, seen from the side, fits between your thumb and little finger, you are far enough away.

One figure, two pages

You may read 50 yards on one state parks page. That is NOAA’s general figure for sea turtles outside Hawaii. For Hawaii, NOAA, DLNR’s aquatic-resources division and the state’s 2025 wildlife flyer all give 10 feet. Treat 10 feet as the least, and give a turtle more room whenever you can.

Sunscreen, coral and boats

• Sunscreen. Since January 1, 2021, Hawaii has banned the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate, or both, without a prescription (Act 104 of 2018). The law covers sale, not what you wear. A later bill to ban avobenzone and octocrylene did not become law. DLNR points out that “reef safe” is not a regulated claim: read the ingredients, look for mineral filters such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, or wear a rash guard and use less.
• Coral and marine life. In Hawaii’s Marine Life Conservation Districts, Hanauma Bay and Waikiki among them, it is illegal to take or injure any marine life or to take or alter coral and sand, and at Hanauma Bay to feed fish. Float flat, keep your fins off the reef and do not stand on it.
• Boats. NOAA asks boaters to slow to 5 to 10 knots near harbors, ramps and shallow reefs and to put the engine in neutral if a turtle is close.

Dolphins and whales

Since October 28, 2021, federal law has banned swimming within 50 yards of a Hawaiian spinner dolphin, or approaching one that close by boat, within 2 nautical miles of the main Hawaiian islands. Humpback whales get 100 yards. The West Oahu guide explains what that means for the dolphin and turtle boats.

A guided snorkel, if you would rather

A guide knows where the turtles are and keeps the group at a respectful distance.

Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026; Viator checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.

Where the rules apply

Everywhere on the island, from the boats off Waikiki to the beach at Laniakea and the reef at Hanauma Bay.