Lava—hot, invincible and irresistibly captivating—continues its stubborn run on the ocean. The impact, when it hits cool sea water at a blistering 2,100 degrees, is staggering. Picture a souped up grenade that explodes into a fountain of steam hurling volcanic depris every which way.
Better yet. See it for yourself.
Kilauea Volcano, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, is on a roll. The most active volcano in the world, she's been puffing and pumping for over 25 years. But all of a sudden last year, she moved into high gear propelling tons of molten lava over the landscape and into the ocean.
Capt. Shane Turpin, who makes daily boat trips to the lava flow, says Pele's rivers of fire have been entering the sea at a very high volume. (Pele, you will recall, is the volcano goddess in charge of Kilauea and all the rest of Hawaii's volcanoes.) Turpin, who runs Lava Ocean Adventures, takes people out on the ocean to see the great lava/ocean hissing match.
Kilauea's performance is drawing people to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in record numbers. And why not? There's nowhere else in the world where people can witness the creation of Earth. The Big Island is the youngest in the Hawaiian Island chain and it's still growing thanks to Madam Pele and her relentless lava spewing.
Safe viewing is possible via a number of options—hiking, biking, night helicopter flights and boat trips.
Three boat companies, Lava Ocean Adventures, Lono Adventures and Lava Roy, are equipped to usher passengers to a front-row seat. If you're lucky, fingers of lava, like blood-red waterfalls, will be entering the water from multiple locations. Lava views are particularly impressive in the early morning and at sunset. Frankly though, it's hard to find any hour of the day when a lava flow is less than awesome. Tours depart from Isaac Hale Beach Park on the island's east side.
Lava boat tours are a hot, new adventure on the island and have caught the attention of the national media. That interest should come as no surprise. It's an outrageous, totally awesome and unique experience. There's one drawback. This is an adventure completely dependent on the whims of nature. Lava flows on its own timetable and determines its own path. Current information is available from both boat companies and Volcanoes National Park.
An 18-mile bike ride is another way to get to the show. BikeVolcano.com has designed a tour that provides sunset views of lava hitting the sea and includes a stop in Kalapana, a village ravaged by earlier lava flows.
Take to the sky for a panoramic view of fiery-red lava oozing over black lava fields. The experience is best at night, and Big Island Air will get you there.
By land, it's possible to see lava flows from a viewing area at the end of Highway 130 (the Kea'au - Pahoa bypass road). The site is open from 2 to 8 p.m. daily. For current information, call 961-8093. Reaching the viewing area will require a relatively long hike.
The restless volcano has left its mark on the Big Island's air quality. Volcanic smog, or vog, alerts have increased, prompting public officials to release more information about possible air quality hazards. Pick up a brochure or visit http://co.hawaii.hi.us for more information.
