A few miles west of Kilauea we come to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach. The signs says "The mystical turtle Kauila makes her home in the Ka'u district at Punalu'u Bay. According to Hawaiian mythology, Kauila was empowered with the ability to to turn herself from a turtle into human form and would play with the children along the shoreline and keep watch over them. The people of Ka'u loved Kauila as the guradian of their children, and also for her spring that gave them pure drinking water.

The presence of Kauila can still be felt today by the sea turtles that inhabit this special place." Then it goes on to tell that it is against both federal and state law to touch or in any way bother a sea turtle. Gotta love a sign with a picture, to be seen be all, even those too young to read, showing how cool it would be to lie down on a turtle, and then words telling how one must keep one's distance.

Oh well. I didn't see anyone, kid or adult, touch a turtle. So I guess the signage works. And it makes for an interesting and nice picture.

punalubeach