Punalu`u Beach is famous for three things: the black sand beach formed by the up-current lava flow and lined with palm trees, the green sea turtles (honu) that continuously bask on the lava rocks here, and the little know and never published tiger shark population (due to the abundance of turtles).

Here we see two turtles laying on lava rocks warmed by the sun to re-energize while another turtle feeds on limu algae in the protected shallows of a tide pool.

This shot is a long exposure shot, which gives an idea of how still these turtles are when resting!