Heavenly Honu

Edition: 300 | Metal Print | Various Sizes

Metal Print is a dye sublimation process where the ink is infused into a special coating on the metal which produces a glossy and vibrant end result.

Heavenly Honu The yellow tang is an herbivorous (plant-eating) fish that is believed to have evolved in Hawaii and spread to a few nearby islands. Only in Hawaii does this fish occur in large schools. At one time the Kona Coast was promoted as the “Gold Coast” purportedly because the large schools of yellow tang colored the reefs yellow when seen from an airplane. Numbers of yellow tang on the reefs plummeted as the aquarium trade grew rapidly from the 1970s on. However, when no-collecting zones, or FRAs, were instituted in West Hawaii at the beginning of the 21^st century, yellow tang populations began a rapid recovery along the Kona Coast. Populations of honu (Hawaiian green turtles) have been recovering since they were protected under the Endangered Species Act. So it is only in recent years, and only in Hawaii, that you can witness the magnificent spectacle of a honu blissfully having its shell polished by a swarm of yellow tangs. This photo was taken in the Puako FRA, which is also a Fishery Managed Area where nets are prohibited, allowing tangs to thrive, which also benefits the health and survival of the turtles.

036850   reg: VAu 1-086-944   capture: 06/11/11