Laniakea beach or Lani's is also referred to as "Turtle beach" because this natural sanctuary attracts so many of the endangered Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle or "Honu".

Since the year 2000 the turtles have been basking on the beach enjoying the warm sun rays, the turtles most likely come here because of the abundance of limu (seaweed) growing on the rocks which they feed on.

Toward the right hand side of the beach is a small cove in which the turtles make their way in to the shore thru the channel, the plentitude of boulders and coral reef act as a rocky deterrent to its natural predator...tiger sharks.

About two and a half miles north of Haleiwa, Laniakea can be seen clearly from the Kamehameha Highway. It's a broad right reef whose main takeoff zone is 400 yards offshore, facing a reef-sand beach and a dusty informal parking lot. Lani's is a favorite spot for the Town crew -- surfers who pile into cars and roar out from Honolulu through the winter months. Generally they're searching for a less violent alternative to the main North Shore arenas ... but Laniakea has many faces.

The reef is really just one half of a massive lava hammerhead that flanks a small point of land, home to some of the North Shore's coolest and best-cared-for real estate (the other half makes up the left reef known as Jocko's, a quarter mile to the north).

Laniakea has always been pretty busy with crowds of tourists and surfers.