Black Sand Beach
November 23rd, 2007
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by admin · Filed Under: Uncategorized
SEE SEA TURTLES!!
Would you like to go see sea turtles in their natural environment? The Big Island of Hawaii has just the place. I have personally been there twice and was amazed to see turtles sunning on the stunning black sand beach both times! If you are interested in wildlife, preservaion, black sand, or just turtles in general…you just have to visit Punalu’u Beach Park.
LOCATION
Punalu’u Beach Park is the most famous black sand beach on the Big Island. It has jet black sand and tall, leaning coconut palms. Punalu’u Beach is located off Hwy 11 on sourth shore, south of the town Hilo. It’s about an hour drive from Hilo and and hour and a half from Kailua-Kona. While at the beach you can relax under the coconut palms, wade in the fresh water pool, or snorkel with the sea turtles.
TURTLES
The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles frequent the beach and feed in the water below. You are allowed to watch and film the turtles, but please don’t touch or scare them! They are endangered species and the bacteria transferred to them via human skin can kill them as they have no immune system for it. There is a plaque on the beach about the turtle: “The mystical turtle, Kauila, makes her home in the Kau District at Punalu’u Bay. According to Hawaiian mythology, Kauila was empowered with the ability to turn herself from a turtle into human form and would play with the children along the shoreline and keep watch over them. The people of Kau loved Kauila as the guardian of their children and also for her spring that gave them fresh drinking water.”
TIPS
* Don’t take any sand home with you!
*Don’t touch or scare the turtles!
*Consider visiting Hawaiian Volcanos National Park the same day. It is only 25 miles further up the highway in the Hilo bound direction!
For pictures of Punalu’u Beackh Park’s Black Sand Beach click here, for other Black Sand Beach pictures click here.
Aloha and Mahalo!
The Hula Girls…
