Hike to Sea Turtles

After our intense green sand beach hike Cameron promised me that the black sand beach hike would be a lot more relaxed and whole lot less windy. We set off Saturday morning to hike the black sand beach and hopefully be able to see some sea turtles. The sea turtles hang out in a quiet little lagoon type area where they float happily all day and bask in the sun. Cameron and I didn't quite experience that on the hike to get to them. You start off walking along the black sand beach and make your way past all the trees along the edge of the beach. Cameron had remembered hidden water ponds being in the woods so we tried finding them. When we found them they were the coolest little natural pools I've ever seen. They are smack in the middle of the trees, if it was dark and you were walking you probably would fall right into them. Rocks form in a circle as a border and people climb in and cool off in the shade right alongside the beach. It was really cool...just make sure you don't use it as a bathroom. Neither Cameron or I ventured into them but they were neat to stop and see.

Hi again!
Since the goats didn't want to be our friends we decided to try our luck with the sea turtles. The lagoon area was fairly shallow and there was a little island a few feet out that we saw some big turtles hanging out on. Cameron and I perched ourselves on the rocks and watched the big turtles across the way and then we realized all of the ginormous creatures right in the water in front of us. It turned into a game for Cameron and I as we tried to take their picture when they came up to breathe. They are such large animals yet swim so smooth and quick in the water. They hardly ever come up to breathe and when they do its quick and back under they go! We spotted so many and had fun seeing what they were up to. Some were just baking their shells in the sun on the island...others were water bugs and kept swimming around enjoying the blue water.

​We had fun taking turtle pictures and of course I snagged a few selfies with Cameron before we started to hike back. On the walk back we took the normal path back rather than rock climb. As we made our way Cameron spotted a huge sea turtle right up on the shore. He was just laying there...I'm not sure how because the black sand felt like it was 120 degrees. He appeared to be sleeping but we must have disturbed him or he is incredibly photo shy because when we got up close for pictures and he instantly turned his head away from us. Satisfied with our sea turtle photo-shoot we hiked back to the car and called it a day after two long hiking adventures.

We continued back on the black sand for a good ways and started to pass the exquisite homes that are built along the beach. The houses were incredible and huge...we aren't entirely sure who lives in them but whoever resides in those beachfront homes are lucky people. One of the homes had a little security guy watching people pass by. Wouldn't that be a fun job? Sit on the beach all day people watching! The funny thing is all the homes looked empty as if no one was even living in them.

​they even had a little beach hammock out front!
The jealously subsided and we finished hiking the straightaway of the beach and rounded the corner of the beach. Once you hike a couple miles you end up in a lagoon area that is quieter. We found a path that loops around the lagoon to where the turtles hang out. It started to get really hot out and after all the hiking on the black sand we were glad we made it to a more shaded woodsy area. The path was beautiful full of rocks and the light blue/green water that I'm obsessed with...(almost two weeks have passed and I still tell Cameron how pretty a blue it is.)

Water break in the shade!


Rose don't sit there! Don't you know that's lava!?
Cameron decided to take us off-roading on the path. There was an easier loop that was more direct to the turtles but being the adventurous camera couple that we are we decided to take the path less traveled...just a few barriers that we had to rock climb up and over. As we were sweating and mountain climbing over the lava rock we ended up getting some cool views of the water and saw some more of our friends from our Pu'u hike. There was also a crazy kite surfer out on the water that was fun to watch.  Putting our rock climbing skills back to work we made our way down the lava rock mountain and closer to the water edge to find some sea turtles...plus we scared the goats away.