This tattoo was requested by Craig as a symbol of protection for his babies.

The turtle and the flax plant symbolize family, and the twist joining the elements on the shell is a symbol of eternal love and reciprocal bond. On the inside of the shell we placed the letters B and K, for the children´s names; the spearheads on the left represent the warrior and the fish on the right are symbols of abundance. The two birds are pidgeons: if one gets hit, the other one will come down to cover him with his wings, even if thus he could be killed himself. This represents brothers, or someone who will always be there to help.

The tikis on the front flippers too are symbols of protection from every side, and the lizard forming the back flippers represent a wish for good luck.

The koru inside the sun symbolizes the new bright beginning represented by these births.

A curiosity: kahupeka is the name of a defense shield made of thickly woven flax leaves, and the flax plant also symbolizes family, and appears in the center of this design.