Thanks to lava streams beneath the water just off shore, Hawaii’s so-called Black Sand Beach has a unique deep, black color that is found almost nowhere else in the world.

Known formally as Punaluʻu Beach on Hawaii’s Big Island, the volcanic sands create one of nature’s most stunning scenes. Unlike other beaches, the black sand of Punaluʻu is made almost exclusively of basalt that has washed up from beneath the waves. As underwater lava vents extrude magma out into the ocean the super-heated rock cools so quickly that it often explodes into the tiny basalt particles that continually feed the unique beach. The area is also home to a handful of unique species of endangered wildlife such as the Hawksbill Turtle and the Hawaiian Monk Seal which are shockingly common on the jet sands. The Black Sand Beach is yet another of the island state’s one-of-a-kind natural wonders.