Awesome sea turtles and Fijian warrior clubs with a vicious past! That right there creates some anticipation about seeing what kind of handcrafted artwork is available!

First things first: We at Cerulean Bay really pride ourselves in knowing where our products come from, how they are made, who made them and what they are made from. Please know that we would honestly never intentionally import anything that is illegal. We totally support sustainability and the legal, responsible use of local resources. Regarding our wood products, we always follow the strict exportation laws of countries like Fiji and the strict importation laws of the US. Everything we import is approved by local governments.

Wooden turtles are awesome! We just love them and how they have such a special place in so many tropical cultures.

Photo Credit: Jack’s of Fiji

Sea turtles are an iconic representation of peaceful, blue tropical oceans, sandy beaches and relaxing island lifestyles. But they are so important to marine ecosystems so we would be remiss by not providing a bit of information about them:

Sea turtles are an integral part of the global marine life spectrum. In the oceans, green sea turtles are among the very few creatures that eat sea grass (manatees eat sea grass as well). Sea grass needs to be constantly cut short to help it grow across the sea floor so grazing helps to maintain the health of these grass beds. They provide breeding and developmental grounds for numerous marine animals. Without them, many marine species that humans harvest would be lost along with lower levels of the food chain.

Photo Credit: Wood Turtle at Cerulean Bay Store

Sea turtles also use beaches and the lower dunes to nest and lay their eggs. Beaches and dunes are a fragile habitat that depend on vegetation to protect against erosion. Eggs, hatched or unhatched, and hatchlings that fail to make it into the ocean are nutrient sources for dune vegetation. This allow the vegetation to grow and become stronger which in turn creates root systems which help to hold sand in place and protect the beach from erosion.

Sea turtles have an especially significant meaning in the South Pacific. In Hawaiian legends, the sea turtle is called “Honu” and is said to have guided the first Polynesians to these islands. Another legend describes the protective nature of the sea turtle called ”Kailua”. It is said that this sea turtle would turn into a woman to protect children playing on beaches. A sea turtle’s ability to return home after swimming many miles in the sea is said to represent good luck and faithfulness.

Photo Credit: Flickr

In Fijian culture, the sea turtle symbolizes fertility, wellness and protection. The shell is a symbol of heaven while the underside is a symbol of earth. So the sea turtle is considered to be a being who unites heaven and earth. This helps to explain why the sea turtle is featured so prominently throughout Fijian and South Pacific artwork and culture. And because of that, Fiji produces some of the most beautifully carved sea turtles from native hardwood!

Photo Credit: Cerulean Bay Archive

With so many shapes and sizes available, you too can create a one-of-a-kind look that will belong only to you!

As always, we hope this guide is inspiring and helps you to come up with some great ideas. Take a few minutes to just imagine a tropical lifestyle at home, a place inspired by warm, tropical ocean air and the scent of frangipani. A place where you can relax from dawn till dusk in cerulean waters, in a hammock under swaying palms or in a comfortable chair under a thatched roof with good friends and some tropical drinks. A place where you can create a look and feel that it is unique and personal to you. A tropical lifestyle that you can truly enjoy everyday with family and friends. A place called Cerulean Bay!