Pupukea Beach Park

Pupukea Beach Park, Oahu

Pupukea, which means "white shell" in the Hawaiian language, is a long, narrow beach park with a rocky shoreline. At each end of the park are two well-known ocean areas: Shark's Cove and Three Tables. Both are popular for diving and snorkeling, mainly in the summer months when the surf is calm. In winter, when North Shore surf is large and dangerous, swimming, snorkeling and diving are often not possible or recommended.

Shark's Cove got its name from a popular story that says the outline of a reef outside the cove looks like a shark when seen from above. In summer, Shark's Cove is a busy snorkeling spot. Water access can be tricky because visitors have to walk down a steep dirt path and cross rocks near the shoreline. There is no broad sandy beach here, only a few sandy patches between the boulders that line the shore.

Three Tables is named for the three flat reefs that lie off the beach. The "tables" rise above the ocean's surface during low tide. It is another good snorkeling spot during calm summer conditions, but winter surf can make the area too rough and dangerous for water entry. Between Shark's Cove and Three Tables are tide pools, lava formations and occasional wave action through the rocks.

In the middle section of the park is the Honolulu Fire Department's Sunset Beach Fire Station, an important base for the North Shore of Oahu. The firefighters stationed here also respond to many ocean rescues.

Pupukea Beach Park is part of a marine life conservation area and covers a narrow stretch along Kamehameha Highway. Across the street is Foodland, the main grocery store in this area, along with small surf shops and roadside food trucks nearby.