| Going to the beach is a big thing in Hawaii, because | | | | dark and mysterious, as little light is reflected back |
| we are blessed with not only weather consistently | | | | into the water from the sandy bottom, but the |
| gorgeous year round, but also with numerous | | | | bouldery nature of the off-beach sea floor assures |
| beautiful beaches on which to enjoy our golden days. | | | | the prospect of abundant life and many reef fish. Be |
| Because our Big Island is geologically quite young and | | | | aware...because black sand beaches mostly occur on |
| the landscape is immature, our beaches tend to be | | | | the youngest, and therefore most exposed, portions |
| smaller than those on the older islands, and are | | | | of the island, many are characterized by big waves, |
| therefore all the more precious. What the Big Island | | | | strong currents and nasty rip tides. Swim only where |
| has that some of the other islands lack, though, are | | | | you see others swimming, and only when a life guard |
| beaches with spectacularly colored sand. White sand, | | | | is present. |
| black sand, green sand and even grey sand. | | | | Wild, surreal, enchanting, the Big Island's green sand |
| The creamy white sand beaches of picture postcards | | | | beaches are a rare geologic occurrence that appears |
| and hapa haole songs result from the accumulation of | | | | in only a few choice spots on our island and almost |
| small particles of coral reef and crushed shell fish | | | | nowhere else in the world. Although they take a little |
| shells. As the reefs grow, wave and storm action | | | | effort to get to, you should not travel all the way to |
| break it into small pieces and many fish, such as the | | | | Hawaii and not see these jewel-like beaches. |
| parrot fish, munch the coral whole and spit-out sand | | | | The green sand is composed almost entirely of the |
| sized particles. Other fish, such as the | | | | mineral olivine, or peridot as the gem quality crystals |
| humuhumunukunukuapua'a swallow the coral and | | | | are known. These crystals precipitate out of the |
| sand-size pellets of sandy waste come out their | | | | molten lava while it sits in the magma chamber |
| other end. In this way, one coral-eating reef fish can | | | | reservoir before it erupts onto the surface. The liquid |
| produce up to a ton of white sand a year. Because | | | | lava is melted from rocks at great depth within the |
| our white sand beaches result from physical | | | | earth; the chemical composition of the melt is at |
| degradation of soft, biological material the sand grains | | | | equilibrium at extremely high pressures and |
| tend to have rounded edges. Thus, unlike sands | | | | temperatures. As the magma migrates upward, many |
| derived from rock and mineral sources, such as the | | | | miles, through the Earth's crust, it cools and pressure |
| California beaches, they do not stack well and tend | | | | decreases; this causes crystals to precipitate to form |
| to produce poor sand castles. | | | | in the melt. In magmas world wide, olivine is almost |
| Beautiful white sand beaches occur all over the Big | | | | always observed to precipitate out first. Hawaii lavas |
| Island, but are biggest and best developed on the | | | | migrate up to the surface so quickly, and then are |
| Kona and Kohala coastlines, as coral reefs prosper | | | | expelled from the magma chamber onto the surface |
| best on the lee-side of the island. Prime examples of | | | | so quickly, that they have little time for many |
| white sand beaches include Anaeho'omalu, Hapuna, | | | | crystals to form. But when lava does sit in the |
| Wailea and Makalawena Beaches. Snorkeling at these | | | | magma chamber awhile, the olivine crystals do |
| white sand beaches is a joy-the water is a brilliant | | | | precipitate, and they slowly settle to the bottom of |
| turquoise due to the amount of light reflected back | | | | the melt. As liquid lava begins to erupt onto the |
| into the water by the sandy shore bottom. However, | | | | surface, much of the olivine is left behind in the |
| this sandy bottom itself is relatively barren of life, so | | | | residual liquid. Thus, lavas erupted from the latest |
| if seeing fish is your main snorkeling goal, be sure to | | | | stages of these magma chambers sometimes are |
| choose a beach with a nearby reef, such as Wailea | | | | enriched with crystalline olivine. Since late stage |
| Beach, since the fish live in and around reefs and | | | | magmas are also relatively cooler and less fluid, their |
| rocky cliffs. | | | | eruptions are more explosive and they tend to form |
| Black sand beaches are strange and spectacular, and, | | | | more spatter cones than flows. The green sand |
| because of their thermal properties, are warm even | | | | beaches of the Big Island result where the ocean has |
| on a chilly day (Oh, yes, we do have chilly days here | | | | breached one or another of these spatter cones, and |
| in Hawaii--in mid-winter temperatures can dip into the | | | | the winnowing action of the waves has washed |
| low 70s and even rarely the upper 60s!). In fact, it is | | | | away all the particles except for the relatively denser |
| the black sand beaches of the Big Island that are the | | | | olivine grains. |
| choice among egg-laying female Hawaiian green sea | | | | There are tiny green sand beaches all along the |
| turtles for laying their egg clutches on, precisely | | | | southern coastline on either side of South Point, but |
| because of their warmth. | | | | the largest and most accessible is Papkolea Beach at |
| Black sand beaches result from the fiery, explosive | | | | South Point, reached by a moderate hike of about 2 |
| mix of hot liquid lava entering the ocean. The skin of | | | | ¼ miles along the wild coastline northeast of |
| the lava stream is instantly chilled as it flows into the | | | | South Point, following an old 4WD two-track. Once |
| water and then blasted off when the ocean water | | | | again, due to its rarity and the irreplaceable nature of |
| flashes to steam. Black sand also results from | | | | this resource, we ask that you enjoy our Green Sand |
| mechanical action during the natural physical erosion | | | | beaches, but don't take any sand home with you. |
| of the basalt (the name for the rock our lava | | | | Warm, comfortable and inviting, grey sand beaches |
| becomes once it cools). You'd think that sand forged | | | | result from mixing of black sand particles with white |
| in the volcano would be tough and enduring, but in | | | | sand along a stretch of beach and as such, are |
| truth, it's very, very fragile and black sand beaches | | | | represented by a continuum of grey hues. In fact, |
| do not last long over time. For this reason, although | | | | many Big Island beaches probably fit more with a |
| the sand is beautiful and rare, we ask you not to | | | | definition of grey sand beach than properly occupy |
| take any home with you. | | | | either of the two distinct end member compositions, |
| Black sand beaches occur all over the island, two of | | | | black sand or white sand beach. Ho'okena, Kahalu'u |
| the largest are on the north end of the island, | | | | and Honomalino are three of the largest and most |
| crossing the mouths of Waipi'o and Pololu Valleys, | | | | popular grey sand beaches on the Big Island. |
| respectively. These are not visited as often as some | | | | Then there are the funny sands that are either |
| of the others as both entail something of a hike | | | | exceedingly rare or seasonal. Consider one entirely |
| down into the canyons. What once must have been | | | | unique beach, Ke-awa-iki, which today is a dominantly |
| a heart-achingly beautiful, large black sand beach | | | | black sand beach, but the black sand has incompletely |
| fronts Hilo Town right on Hilo bay, but much of it has | | | | mixed with the older white sand on the southern |
| been eroded, polluted and degraded by industrial | | | | portion of the beach, leaving a stretch of strange, |
| encroachment or simply paved over as a result of | | | | but oddly artistic, piebald black and white sand. And |
| urbanization. By far the most popular black sand | | | | then there are the pink sands formed during winter |
| beach is at Punalu'u. Not only is the beach lovely, | | | | when storm-derived deep waves wash and grind-up |
| inviting and easily accessible, it's almost guaranteed | | | | more coral turning some otherwise white sand |
| that the visitor will see Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles | | | | beaches absolutely pink; Wailea Beach and Keakaikua |
| basking on this beach. The newest and most vibrant | | | | beaches are prime examples of this. |
| black sand beach is Kaimu Beach at the end of the | | | | Now picture yourself on the Big Island on |
| Kalapana-Kopoho Road, near where the village of | | | | vacation...your only assignment, sprawl out every |
| Kalapana was engulfed by the volcano a few years | | | | different colored beach you can find and see which is |
| ago. Snorkeling at the black sand beaches can be | | | | just right for you! Sounds pretty sweet, huh? |