July 20, 2019
Laniakea Beach, or more commonly referred to as “Turtle Beach” is the best spot in Oahu to catch a glimpse of green sea turtles! However, do not make the same mistake I did and confuse Laniakea Beach with the official Turtle Beach. Turtle Beach is located at the tip-top of Oahu on the Turtle Bay Resort. Laniakea Beach is referred to as Turtle Beach because of the frequency in which sea turtles visit here. But if you put Turtle Beach into your GPS, it will bring you to the resort, so be specific and put in Laniakea!
Driving to Laniakea Beach
From Oahu, it is easiest to rent a car to get to the North Shore. The best way is to make sure to put Laniakea Beach in your GPS and follow its directions. Basic directions would be to take H1 to H2, then route 80, and finally onto Kamehameha Highway. Laniakea Beach is located along the east side of Kamehameha Highway.
When to Go
Turtles can be spotted at Laniakea Beach almost every day of the year. Avoid going on the weekend and instead go during the week. Best times for turtle sightings are between 11 AM and 2 PM when they come out of the water to sunbathe.
Do not make the mistake I did by going on the weekend. Traffic was horrendous! I sat through an hour of bumper to bumper traffic just to reach the beach (both ways).
Parking
Parking is limited and thus causes terrible traffic. There is no parking on the beachside of the road and instead is across the street. Foot traffic crossing the road also leads to building traffic. I passed by the beach twice before I found a spot further down in front of a farm. Be careful crossing the street as there are no crosswalks and many drivers will not stop for you.
Turtles, Turtles, and more Turtles!
Once you’ve circumnavigated the traffic and parking, the walk down to the beach is quite steep down large rocks. The beach itself is not very large or wide. Once on the beach, you will quickly spot the turtles because there will be a large group of people huddled around them. I was very lucky to see turtles in the water, on the rocky shore, and the sandy beach!
The Turtles’ Protectors
Every day, rain or shine, 365 days a year 85 selfless volunteers guard this beach and the visiting turtles. I was very lucky to be able to speak with one of these volunteers to learn some more information about the turtles and what the volunteers do.
The volunteers’ main objective is to make sure the turtles have little human interaction and their habitat is protected. The volunteers spend most of their time enforcing the strict 10-foot perimeter around all turtles. Whether they are on the sand or in the water. With the ever-growing selfie obsession, tourists are trying to get up close and personal to these endangered turtles. While I was chatting with the volunteer, he had to tell off snorkelers and crowds that were getting too close.
Another part of the volunteers’ duties is to log each time a turtle makes landfall on the beach. It helps them learn their travel patterns and their population numbers. The volunteers can recognize all the turtles that visit the beach by the markings on their shells and faces.
Turtle Power
I learned that 34 turtles come to this beach, with 28 of them visiting more frequently. The reason they come to this beach so frequently is because of the rocks along the shore. The algae-covered rocks are a great food source for the sea turtles and the beach is perfect for them to sunbathe after their meal!
He also informed me that a 135-year-old turtle was sunbathing at the end of the beach! I, of course, made my way over and marveled at this gigantic turtle! The volunteers had a perimeter roped off around the sea turtle so he could enjoy his afternoon nap undisturbed. Unfortunately, those in the water did not abide by the perimeter and were told off.
When visiting Laniakea Beach, please be mindful of your distance from the endangered sea turtles!
Lend a Hand
If you live on Oahu and are interested in helping protect the sea turtles, the kind gentleman mentioned that they are always looking for volunteers to help them safeguard the endangered green sea turtles! He even tried recruiting me to join! I told him maybe when I move to Hawaii!
