Why the sand isn't black?, a photo from Lanzarote, Canarias

Photographer's Note

This is another picture from the Playa de la Cera. This time with the sea view. I liked the entrance to this beach. It had an exclusive feeling with the dark volcanic rocks surrounding it. The number of people on this beach was much lower, more at an acceptable level. But I will show you amazing, desolated beaches on Lanzarote later. As some of you suggested, it was a surprise to experience beaches with white or golden sand on Canaries. I think Tenerife didn’t have such a big variety. However, the neighbouring Fuerteventura has huge, long white sand beaches. Hawaii, also of volcanic origin, have many golden sand beaches so I suppose volcanic origin does not mean that all beaches must be dark. I am not sure whether some volcanic rocks have different colour or rather raising volcano takes with it a fragment of the sea floor to the surface. Anybody knows?

28.844181, -13.788492

Fis2, PaulVDV, PiotrF, ikeharel, jemaflor, COSTANTINO, ChrisJ, jhm, adramad, mcmtanyel has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Tue (93504) 2021-11-17 12:28

Hello Mariusz,
I like the lower viewpoint, which got the volcanic rocks nicely on both side, truly surrounded by the sandy beach. The blue sea with lots white sailboats is very appealing as well.
Lars

Fis2 (171991) 2021-11-17 12:44

Czesc Mariusz!
Plazowanie trwa, fajne miejsce, ladnie pokazane.
Widok robi wrazenie.
Dobre kolorki i swiatlo.
Milego wieczoru.
Krzysztof

Silvio1953 (222991) 2021-11-17 13:25

Ciao Mariusz, great POV on fantastic beach, splendid light, excellent clarity and wonderful natural colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

lousat (140026) 2021-11-17 14:14

Hi Mariusz,in fact the thing is a bit strange, but surely the sand was pushed to the surface by the volcanic eruption, perhaps also from here derives the name of wax beach because this color is somewhat reminiscent of the cream color of wax. Another perfect photo, this time with a sea view and with few people. Have a nice day and thanks,Luciano

Gerrit (62042) 2021-11-17 14:17

Hello Mariusz,
Very attractive beach and excellent photo. The composition is very good and the light is perfect.
Thanks and regards,
Gerrit

PaulVDV (63496) 2021-11-17 15:35

Hello Mariusz,
I don't know the answer to your question. I myself have already stood at the crater of a few volcanoes, but they were not really located at the sea. Consequently, I don't really know volcanic beaches.
Your photo shows a nice view between the rocks over the sandy beach and the sea towards the many boats and the coastline in the distance.
The weather was very nice back then.
Best regards, Paul

PiotrF (56080) 2021-11-17 16:09

Czesc Mariusz
Na takie male plaze zapewne dowieziono ten piasek ;-) Raczej nie jest on pochodzenia wulkanicznego, moze prady morskie przyniosły go z Afryki? nie znam wytłumaczenia. Ładny kadr , w pierwszej chwili myslalem, ze na morzu sa sliczne balwanki z fal a to jednak cumujace lodzie ktore dobrze uzupelniaja kadr. Ciekawa prezentacja
pozdrawiam
Piotr

ifege (49505) 2021-11-17 22:49

Hi Mariusz
Another good photo of this not black beach surrounded by volcanic rocks. Glorious water colour.
cheers
Ian

jemaflor (148292) 2021-11-17 23:18

Hi Mariusz,
Nice beach and contrast with the clear sand and these dark rocks, why ? I don't know, why no black sand ... but a charming beach and blue sea, well taken, tfs.

COSTANTINO (117850) 2021-11-17 23:28

Hello dear friend
I prefer the white sand instead of the black one...
the black rocks create a different environment
which creates many questions to the people
who visit this beach
regards
costantino

ikeharel (114659) 2021-11-18 0:44

Hello Mariusz,
Obviously the sand is not a volcanic residue, that's made the beach so wonderful and pleasant.
From this POV, the picture superbly allocated from the lava-mountains, people at the beach and blue beautiful sea colors.
Have a nice new day,
Ike

pajaran (117113) 2021-11-18 3:58

Pozdrav.

Leop pogled i trenutak, dobar tekst ...
lepa plaza i more sa belim camcima, dobro pokaznao sa lepim bojama, kontrastom, perspektivom i uhvacenim trenutkom.
Dobar rad, lepa fotografija.
Lepo mesto za odmor sa lepim pogledom.
Posetioci uzivaju u lepom danu sa suncem.

Zelim vam lepo popodne, sve najbolje.
Paja

ChrisJ (172436) 2021-11-18 5:58

Hello Mariusz

Depends how recent the last major eruption was and how much ash was thrown into the sea. I know the islands of Santorini have a black sand beach as does Camaguin in the southern Philippines. If you dug a core sample of this beach you'd probably find alternating layers of black and yellow sand. Tfs!

jhm (211738) 2021-11-18 9:34

Hello Mariusz,

A lovely beach with a few people on this nice white sand
An excellent detailed picture also perfect sharp and clear.
Also a lovely contrast with the dark rocks around.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

jmdias (116547) 2021-11-18 11:45

mariusz

I live in a volcanic area, as you know. everything is red-ochre despite the rocks are black. anyway we have beaches with sand in ivaí river, 4 meters wide only near the water, because the river brings sand from its bed, 300 km at south. I guess it is the same explanation to the sand here, the sea and the sea tides should to remove sand from an area and send it to these beaches during ages, when the level of the ocean level was higher than today. excellent this image too.

take care

jorge

adramad (73478) 2021-11-18 12:06

Hello my friend Mariusz.
Here we see how protected this beautiful square is, due to the lava flows that surround it, a great contrast to the golden sand and blue of the sea. If I go back to Lanzarote I will go to Playa Blanca, because since the friends I was traveling with died, now I go with my sister and she likes the beach, so it can be a good place.
Wonderful image, sharpness, exposure, colors and POV are excellent.
Photo very well done. I like it
Enjoy a good day.
Very best regards.
Luis.

P.S. The year 2002 when I visited Lebanon was a period of peace in the area, a beautiful country had also come from visiting Syria, so nobody thought that everything was going to be destroyed.

mcmtanyel (69284) 2021-12-19 17:59

Hello Mariusz,
Beaches with black sand are rare. I assume the beach is the color of whatever sand the sea happens to bring in.
Regards,
MT