Summer, Sea, Beach. Sand….sounds great indeed but a little bit common and repetitive year after year. To spice things up, did you know that there is a whole rainbow spectrum of sand which can be found at some beaches? Check out this gallery for pink, red, green, black beaches and more unusual places on the shoreline of the sea.
Shell Beach, Australia
Located on the Shark Bay, this beach has a bed of shells scattered all over it. This prolific presence of shells comes from the cockle claims that inhabit this area. The water is so saline that cockle clam predators can’t survive the harsh conditions. This has led to a fertile outburst of shells on the beach. The site is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Glass Beach, California
Located near Fort Bragg in California, Glass Beach looks cool but is actually sort of depressing. Many years ago, residents used to dump their trash in these waters. Today, the glass all over the shore line is from trash materials washed back onto shore and pounded repeatedly by the water, turning the sandy shores into glassy shores.
Green Sand Beach, Hawaii
It’s a hike to get to Papakōlea beach on the island of Hawaii, but it’s worth is to see this extraordinary green beach. The color comes from the mineral olivine. There are only two beaches in the world that have the olivine green sand, the other is Talofofo Beach, Guam.
Glowing Beach, Maldives
Scientists have concluded that the blue glow emanating from the Maldives Ocean are millions of marine microbes known as phytoplankton.
Giant’s Causeway, Ireland
Few beaches are in Mythology than Giant’s Causeway. The story goes that the giant Finn MacCool created the hexagonal rock formations as stepping-stones in an attempt to reach his beloved giantess in Scotland. When the giantess’s boyfriend fought back, Finn grabbed a chunk of land and flung it toward Scotland, creating the Isle of Man and leaving behind a gaping hole—Lough Neagh. The Scottish side of the sea has similar hexagonal structures, supporting the myth. A more scientific explanation maintains that the strange rock formations were created by volcanic eruptions bursting into the sea 60 million years ago.
Dragon Eggs Beach, New Zealand
Known as Moeraki Boulders, these unique rock formations were once surrounded by another land that has since washed away. The pieces of sedimentary rocks left behind are too hard for the water to completely break down, but as the water continuously rolls against them, new and spectacular formation happens.
Pink Shell Beach, Bahamas
You can enjoy a magical beach of pink sand in the Bahamas. The pink color comes from tiny microscopic shelled animals, foraminifera. Their shell is bright pink.
Crystal Beach, Iceland
Accentuating the Vatnajökull National Park, Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon looks embellished with crystals and jewelry. While most of the beaches are known to have a peculiar white or beige sand, Jökulsárlón has black volcanic sand. The ice on it looks like crystals giving it a very rich exotic look. This ethereal lagoon can be explored by boat tours.
Purple beach, California
It’s a beach snug in the area of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park that has iridescent hues of purple shining on the beach, especially after the monsoon. The sand of this beach gets its purple color from manganese garnet deposits and clear quartz.
Barking Sand Beach, Hawaii
To make the sand “bark”, visitors walk over it with bare feet, and if enough force is generated, you can hear what resembles a strange “barking” sound. No one, including scientists, can explain this rare phenomenon.
White Beach, Australia
Of all the beaches in the Australian coast, only Hyams Beach holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of whitest sand. Crystal-clear water, forests and wetlands only add to Jervis Bay’s appeal. Inhabited by Aboriginals for thousands of years, the area boasts important archeological sites, like rock art, stone artifacts, and axe grinding grooves.
Flight Landing Beach, Saint Martin
Maho Beach like your everyday beautiful beach until a plane nearby knocks you down into the sand. People visit the place just to feel the extreme turbulence and power created by the airplanes. The airport is located so close to the beach shore you can practically reach out and touch the plane.
Cathedrals Beach, Spain
This beach was elected as Europe’s most beautiful beach. The stunning cathedral-like arches were made by pounding waves.
Hidden Beach, Mexico
Nestled in Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Amos or the “beach of love” is camouflaged somewhere in the Marieta island. It was during the 1900s that this beach was discovered due to a military target bombing by the Mexican government. As this place had no civilization, it was used by the government for testing. This is undoubtedly the most idyllic bomb site, an accidental discovery opened a beautiful corner of the world. This must probably be the only bombing that didn’t scar the earth, rather opened up a beautiful beach.
Hot Water Beach, New Zealand
It’s is on Mercury Bay on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand. Its name comes from underground hot springs which filter up through the sand between the high and low water tidal reaches. The beach is popular destination both for locals and tourists visiting New Zealand.
