“Mermaid Dream” by Dale Zarrella

The Wailea Mermaids

The story behind these three sculptures, each of which is carved from single pieces of rain shower trees, begins with the mermaid swimming close to shore.  She is suddenly surrounded by baby turtles.  Wondering where they came from, she makes her way to the beach, following their tracks to a nest.  The mermaid looks inside and sees a lonely, unhatched egg.  She picks it up and it suddenly hatches before her eyes! They make their way back to the ocean and rest within the reef; and as the other turtles surround them, the baby swims out of her hands. This moment is depicted in the sculpture:

• 101 Keiki Honu (Baby Turtles)
• Mermaid Dream is a sculpture depicting the swimming mermaid as she follows the turtle that hatched in her hand.  Three other turtles follow in the reef beneath them.
• Hali A Aloha (Cherished Memory), depicts the exact moment when the adult turtle that had once hatched in her hand, swims up to her.  That moment of recognition- that cherished memory- is reflected in her welcoming gesture.