Laniakea Beach
Laniakea Beach
4.5
About
Nicknamed Turtle Beach, this unique location is home to a population of Hawaiian green turtles that bask on its sandy shores during the day. Observe these gentle creatures from a safe distance, and watch them make their way through the rough waves that hit the beach. Volunteers are on hand to ensure that the turtles are not disturbed, and there are signs with information and rules. Laniakea Beach is understandably popular with tourists and locals alike—visiting in the morning when the turtles are active and for fewer crowds. You'll have a better chance of seeing turtles in the summer.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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- pama63Windham, Maine71 contributionsLaniakea Beach (turtle beach)I went last Nov and didn't see any turtles. So, I went again this trip twice. The first time I saw 1 and was so excited. The second time a few days later I saw 1, then 2 ended up seeing 6!! You park across the street from the small beach. Head to the right down by the trees there is a path to get down to the beach where you'll see the turtle. At first, I thought they were large rocks. It was amazing.Visited September 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 4 October 2023
- islandlovingtwosomeLake Forest, California108 contributionsNice Beach To Relax, Swim And Watch The TurtlesI believe this beach is commonly referred to as Turtle Beach, and it lived up to it's name. We were here as a stop on our Circle Island Tour. After lunch, we had a chance to cool off and hopefully see some turtles. We were fortunate enough to see a few of the huge turtles while we were there. They move quite slowly and stop often to eat so we were able to watch from a distance as we would see their heads poke out of the water and go back under.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 14 October 2023
- Sightseer779040494 contributionsSure fire way to see turtles every day!We knew from a previous visit that there are turtles that come up on the beach here every day! They normally come around noon-ish and then stay until after sunset. There is an organization there that monitors the turtles that come up. They are able to identify them and keep everyone a safe distance. The beach is large with plenty of space to spread out and perfect to watch the sunset. There are also quite a few people surfing here as well. If you want a sure fire way to see turtles, this is your spot!Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 27 November 2023
- TravelingSoccerLoonSaint Paul, Minnesota5,847 contributionsTurtle BeachNicknamed Turtle Beach. Best to come early in the day. While no turtles on the beach, we spotted several in the water which left us satisfied. There is a parking lot available across the street and we had no trouble finding a spot in the middle of the day on a weekday in March. This is not a wide sandy beach to sit on all day but was rather rocky and a good place to stroll around.Visited March 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 10 January 2024
- TofurryRenton, Washington1,066 contributionsThe beach to see turtlesWe dropped by Laniakea Beach because I read that turtles can be spotted here. We were not disappointed. Although there was only 1 turtle on the beach, it was a big one and we were so glad to even see 1! There were quite a lot of people here for the turtle but no one got close since the turtle was roped off with signs to leave it alone. There was a lifeguard on duty but the waves were pretty strong. I don't know how many people actually go swimming here during this time of year.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 March 2024
- Brenda O16 contributionsAwesome beach for sea turtle viewing5. This beach was amazing for turtle viewing. We made a special trip here from Honolulu because we did not see sea turtles on any of our other excursions during our cruise around the island . it was our last day and we looked up where to find turtles and this beach popped up. It was about a forty dollar Uber drive from airport Honolulu hotel, but it was well worth it, just make sure you stop at the part of the beach where you see all the yellow barrels. That is the part of the beach where you will find the turtles. We were there around noon and saw a large massive turtles taking turns coming up on shore to eat, the moss off of the rocks. You had very close viewing of the turtles both in and out of water the area was not a good area for snorkeling to the slippery rock. However, that was what the turtles were after this made my Hawaiian vacation. I highly recommend it if you want to view sea turtles.Visited June 2024Travelled with familyWritten 19 June 2024
- Mel FBurnaby, Canada368 contributionslimited parking but well worth seeing the turtlesWe stopped by here on the way back from the north shore. There are pylons preventing the southbound traffic from turning into the parking areas. We were lucky to find a spot in front of a house. The sand is nice and clean here. There werent any turtles on the beach this time, but lots of turtles swimming in the water. A few of them came up for air and washed up briefly by the waves. It was so fun just watching the turtles. Well worth the drive.Visited June 2024Travelled with familyWritten 26 June 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
1,274 reviews
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Sightseer779040
494 contributions
Oct 2022
We found this during my research of beaches to stop at on a drive around the island as we wanted to visit the north shore. We also saw that this is a great place to spot turtles as well. There is a lot of parking on the side of the street leading up to the beach, and there is also a decent size gravel lot across the street. We arrived about 30 minutes before sunset. We found a spot to just sit on the beach and watch the surfers and the sunset. We saw a sign that had an arrow for turtles and we saw a group of people all the way at the end of the beach where the rocks are. There were 3 turtles there! There is an organization there that creates a rope barrier and makes sure people keep their distance while also educating people about the turtles. Turns out they keep records of 35 different turtles that like to come up and nap on this beach, and that there’s usually at least one turtle there every day. We learned a lot about the green turtles and the organization. We had never seen a turtle like that in person before so it was super cool. We sat and watched the sunset with the turtles and it was perfect. There are some rocks over where the turtles are, but if you keep walking down, it turns into soft sand. The organization that keeps an eye on the turtles warned us that right after the sun goes down, cars get broken into so we should all probably head back. Please be sure to take your bags with you on your person, don’t leave anything that looks valuable in plain sight, and lock your doors. So please be alert and aware of your surroundings. Whenever we return, we will definitely be coming back here for a beach day.
Written 12 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lexy P
Vancouver, Canada135 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to be staying on the North Shore and having to deal with the oblivious tourists stopping at this beach.
You are dangerous. Crossing the street and pulling out of the parking spots (where it clearly says no parking). You cannot just run out in to traffic and you can’t just pull out in front of traffic. The people that come to this beach cause massive traffic jams in both directions because of their inconsiderate and dangerous behaviour.
There are many other places on the island to see Turtles. Go swimming at any other beach outside of Waikiki and you will probably see turtles.
Just stop the insanity
You are dangerous. Crossing the street and pulling out of the parking spots (where it clearly says no parking). You cannot just run out in to traffic and you can’t just pull out in front of traffic. The people that come to this beach cause massive traffic jams in both directions because of their inconsiderate and dangerous behaviour.
There are many other places on the island to see Turtles. Go swimming at any other beach outside of Waikiki and you will probably see turtles.
Just stop the insanity
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Halina P
Olathe, KS42 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
I went to this beach with the knowledge that it was the place to go to see sea turtles. If you want to be guaranteed to see a turtle go during the summer!! I went during the winter and it was more like playing “I spy”. The turtles were hidden in the waves but I had so much fun and probably more excitement doing that because it was a hunt and seemed more rare. Finally after waiting a bit a turtle did go onto shore and it was awesome! I do want to give a BIG shout out to the volunteers that work there every day to protect them and they were very informative and fun to talk to
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ghbrown5
Eureka, CA20 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We got to this beach about 10:30 in the morning which was a little early. The turtles are more likely to come out of the water when it warms up a bit. About 11:30 we started seeing them swimming in the surf. We watched them for a couple of hours none came onshore. We were told by the volunteers that 4 came ashore the day before. We really enjoyed watching them and highly recommend it.
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brenda O
16 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
5. This beach was amazing for turtle viewing. We made a special trip here from Honolulu because we did not see sea turtles on any of our other excursions during our cruise around the island . it was our last day and we looked up where to find turtles and this beach popped up. It was about a forty dollar Uber drive from airport Honolulu hotel, but it was well worth it, just make sure you stop at the part of the beach where you see all the yellow barrels. That is the part of the beach where you will find the turtles. We were there around noon and saw a large massive turtles taking turns coming up on shore to eat, the moss off of the rocks. You had very close viewing of the turtles both in and out of water the area was not a good area for snorkeling to the slippery rock. However, that was what the turtles were after this made my Hawaiian vacation. I highly recommend it if you want to view sea turtles.
Written 19 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rickh57
Woodburn, OR400 contributions
Jul 2021
We stopped, hoping to see a sea turtle and weren't disappointed. A large, 40 year old female was on the beach enjoying the sunshine.
A turtle guard told us about her -- the turtles' shells are distinct, like fingerprints, so they can follow their progress over the years.
A turtle guard told us about her -- the turtles' shells are distinct, like fingerprints, so they can follow their progress over the years.
Written 7 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brittany P
1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Family
A very rocky and over crowded beach. Traffic and parking was so bad it took us 2 hours to move out of a 1 mile area. Very sad to see all the people scaring/disturbing the turtles away. Didn’t see any on the numerous occasions visiting. Would recommend skipping this beach or staying in Waikiki.
Written 9 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bex I
Silverdale, New Zealand206 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Went early morning to get a car park, hit one easily. Parking is across a busy road, it is limited however there is a crossing. To get to beach you stumble over tree roots and rocks. There is a small part of Beach to access water. On our day the visibility was 2 arm lengths so hard to see when snorkelling, though a few fish to see. Water is at least warm. Was snorkelling for about an hour and then decided to leave as there was no turtles, however they the. Showed up in the shallow water by the rocks - you can not walk in rocks as covered in green slime. It was great to see them playing however hard to see in the murky water. Discovered better places to see the turtles. Note there are no bathroom or change facilities here.
Written 19 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sightseer779040
494 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
We knew from a previous visit that there are turtles that come up on the beach here every day! They normally come around noon-ish and then stay until after sunset. There is an organization there that monitors the turtles that come up. They are able to identify them and keep everyone a safe distance. The beach is large with plenty of space to spread out and perfect to watch the sunset. There are also quite a few people surfing here as well. If you want a sure fire way to see turtles, this is your spot!
Written 27 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andy C
Honolulu, HI1 contribution
Jul 2021
Crazy traffic all the time, when you try to park cars will not stop and let you cross the street so you have to dart through traffic. If there are even turtles at the beach there will be a huge crowd and volunteers rope it off and make you stand pretty far back. Honestly you can see turtles in waikiki no reason to come here.
Written 12 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are there public bathrooms on Laniakea beach?
Written 13 May 2021
Hi,
Just wondering if the turtles are there all year round or if they are a seasonal thing?
eg: summer only. Is the best time after lunch .. mid afternoon ?
Written 12 June 2019
The best time to see turtles is early in the day before most people arrive at the beech. I suggest heading there at sunrise for the best chance at seeing turtles. Having said that, we did see a turtle on the beech at 4pm with all sorts of people around. Have fun and happy turtle watching.
Written 13 June 2019
HI, we are planning to rent a house on Laniakea beach next January and was wondering if anyone can tell me if it's easy swimming at this time of the year? I know the swell is big in January and some places aren't swimmable. Thanks
Written 18 March 2018
I have been here a few times mostly in feb. There is a break for the waves quite a way out. I know people swim at the beach near were the turtles are.
Have fun
Joe
Written 19 March 2018
Does anyone know if the turtles would around in October?
Written 11 March 2017
The turtle guardian said that the turtles are there year round but are more abundant on the beach in summer. The ocean there has high surfs and currents, and swimming there is not recommended. The volunteer said that between 11 am to 3 pm is usually a good time to see turtles, but it is not guaranteed. She has seen turtles at all hours. She also mentioned that sometimes, she can go for two weeks without seeing a turtle on the beach. You cannot touch or feed the turtles. They are protected.
Written 12 March 2017
Just wondering what's the best way to get to the beach if you don't have a car we would be coming from Waikiki
Written 28 January 2017
Would agree. There is a bus. But by car is the best. bet. And car rentals were pretty reasonable on Oahu - just the parking that stinks and is costly. Have fun.
Written 29 January 2017
Can we snorkel in the water even though the turtles are there as long as we do not approach them?
Written 10 January 2017
Yes, they only ask that you observe at a comfortable distance and do not impede their direction. Enjoy, it was a very memorable experience.
Written 20 January 2017
Are the turtle here year round, or only certain times of year?
Written 23 July 2016
Year round...they are better at Ali'i Beach. They come up on the shore more often during the winter high surf to rest.
Written 23 July 2016
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