The Turtle Callers of Kadavu
On an island in Fiji, the women of one village stand on the cliffs and sing, and turtles are said to rise from the sea to listen.
What was reported
In the village of Namuana on Kadavu island, the women keep an old tradition: standing on the headland above the bay and singing a special chant, after which, it is said, sea turtles rise to the surface below. The ceremony has been described by visitors for over a century.
The legend says the turtles are a princess and her daughter from Namuana who were carried off by fishermen from a rival village and turned into turtles to escape. The turtles will not come, it is said, if anyone from that village is watching.
Explanations offered
The ceremony is a living cultural tradition, and visitors have reported seeing turtles surface during it. Turtles are common in Fijian waters and come up to breathe, so sightings can be explained naturally, but for the people of Namuana the song is a link to their ancestors.
- When
- Tradition handed down for generations
- Where
- Namuana, Kadavu, Fiji
- Witnesses
- The women of Namuana village
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.