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Keeping
it Clean
Punaluʻu Beach (also called Black Sand Beach) is perhaps the most visited and unique beach in the Kaʻu District. Located between Pahala town and Nāʻālehu, the beach has black sand made of basalt. As lava flowed into the ocean, it explodes as it comes in contact with the water and cools.
This geologic wonder is is on private land and frequented by tourists and locals alike. The endangered green sea turtle can often be seen basking on the black sand. And, Punaluʻu is where hawksbill turtles have been known to lay eggs. Adjacent to the beach is a lagoon which requires periodic cleaning and removal of invasive aquatic plants. OKK spearheads the effort to make this happen through our network of volunteers and the tremendous help of the Hawaii National Guard Cadets.
Without this cleanup, unwelcome flora would take over choking out marine life that depend on this area for food and protection.
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