Sand made from sea shells and coral can be white, cream, gray, lavender, orange, or pink, depending on the composition of the exoskeletons.
Anne Helmenstine
White sand beaches in Hawaii are composed mainly of the the shells from sea creatures (calcium carbonate) rather than from inorganic sand (e.g., quartz or other silicates).
This beach is at La'a Loa ("very sacred"), just south of Kailua-Kona. I called it white because compared with the black and green sand beaches, it seemed white to me. It would be more accurate to call it cream or pale pink. There is very little organic material in the water, so it's crystal clear. The sand is very clean as well. The sand section is wide enough to swim in and bodysurf, but it's surrounded by lava rocks.
An Olive Ridley Sea Turtle came to this beach while I was taking this photograph. It is found in Hawaii, though it nests on the beaches of Central America. Turtles are often seen sunning on the beaches, but this one seemed interested in tourists. It swam with the people in the area and was still present after we departed.