Kona Big Island

 Photos taken by Alex Yu

December 2023

Kekaha Kai State Park is renowned for its stunning beach, boasting turquoise waters perfect for activities like swimming, kayaking, and snorkeling. The beach features a three-quarter-mile stretch of white sand, beautifully contrasted by surrounding black lava rock. As you can see here, I didn't post any images of the white sand beach. Rather, I find the black lava rocks to be even more captivating. The park is situated along the northern boundary of one of Hualālai's most recent eruptions in 1801. This violent eruption sent a vast flow of lava across farms, fishing ponds, and several villages, completely reshaping a deep bay. The coastline was transformed as the relentless lava flow obliterated everything in its path.

Over a decade ago, during my visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I witnessed the vibrant red lava flowing—a mesmerizing sight. However, the park currently has no active lava flows, which makes it somewhat less spectacular visually. The rainbow and the red plant captured in the last photograph are genuine, neither staged nor enhanced by AI. Despite the challenging living conditions for vegetation in the park, some resilient plants have found a way to thrive, emerging from the cracks in the rocks..