Life's a Beach! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Underground hot water springs that filter up through the sand

This popular tourist spot has hot springs located under the sandy beach which bubble up between high and low tide. People will often dig holes in the sand making geothermal pools in which to bask. This can be a dangerous beach with vicious rip tides, large waves and unexpected holes on the sea floor near the beach. Signs warn swimmers to only swim when lifeguards are on duty.

Answer: Hawaiian Islands

Kaihalulu Beach or Red Sand Beach can be found on the eastern side of the island Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. It derives its red color from the iron in the surrounding soils. This is a small beach, accessible only by a steep, narrow, very slippery path.

But the surrounding Ironwood trees, the blue ocean, and the red sand beach combine for a kaleidoscope of colors at this exotic, sometimes clothing optional beach.

Answer: Pulverized coral and shells

The beautiful salmon colored sand at Pink Sand Beach gets its color from white quartz sand mixed with pulverized coral and pink shells. When mixed with the turquoise water in the area and the abundant greenery it is no wonder that this beach has been named as one of the world's most beautiful beaches time after time.

Answer: Airplanes landing

Maho Beach has jumbo jets flying overhead so very low that people are sometimes thrown from the beach into the sea by the wind force coming from the planes. The beach is a favorite with plane spotters and local airport timetables are prominently displayed at beach-side bars and restaurants. The Internet has dozens of films showing just how low these planes are to the beach-goers.

Answer: Whitest sand beach in the world

According to the "Guinness Book of Records" Hyams Beach has the whitest sand of any beach in the world. This is a small beach with a very small local population under 200 people . It is a pristine place to watch wildlife both aquatic and terrestrial.

Answer: False

Beaches can be located on both fresh water and salt water. Wasaga Beach, located in southern Ontario, Canada is the world's longest freshwater beach. This white sand beach is located on Nottawasaga Bay and is 8.7 miles (14k) long.

Answer: Iceland

I would need to travel to Iceland if I wanted to see this beach which is known to have some of the blackest sand in the world. The beach is located at the edge of a glacier that sits atop a volcano. Off shore, stand rock formations and cliffs surround the beach.

It is one of the rainiest spots on the island and is known for its weather, which is so bad that it even has a memorial to sailors lost at sea. In 1991, Vik Beach was named one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world by "Islands Magazine".

A beautiful beach to visit for its scenery and wildlife but not a beach for swimming.

Answer: A waterfall

This private beach is believed to be owned by a timber company and to reach it and its waterfall you have to hike 10 miles through the woods. A coarse sand beach with large sandstone boulders and a set of small waterfalls make this a paradise for those seeking privacy. All kinds of Canadian wildlife abound. Swimming might not be so fun as the water is very cold all year around.

Answer: Guam

Papakolea Beach on the big island of Hawaii and Talafofo Beach in Guam are both green sand beaches. Magnetite and olivine contribute to give both beaches their color. Papakolea is a little more tourist friendly and the sand is greener. But Talafofo is a little more pristine and untouched. The water at Papakolea is a beautiful ocean blue and well suited for swimming while the water at Talafofo is a murky orange color and tourists usually do not swim in it.

There are also green sand beaches in the Galapagos, and in Norway.

Answer: True

Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur does have magnificent purple sand that changes hues of purple with the weather. There are beautiful rock formations just off shore. This is a great beach for swimming as the water is usually calm and it is dog friendly. The beach derives its color from manganese garnet particles that have washed down from the hillside.

The farther north you go the more purple the sand.