World Volcano Tour – Leg 1, Hawai

Just my luck! I’m stuck in Hawai while the eruption of the decade is going on in Iceland. Contrary to Iceland there isn’t much going on in Hawai’i Volcanos National Park. There are no ocean lava flows at the moment, only minor surface flows in closed and difficult to reach areas. There is some activity around Pu’u ‘O’o and the new, 130m wide, vent in Halema’uma’u Crater.

Fellow photographer documenting the on-going activity within Halema'uma'u Crater

Again in contrast to Iceland, areas where activity is taking place have limited public access or no access at all. One should bear in mind that Hawai is part of the US after all, where everything comes packaged with a warning and a disclaimer and perpetrators will be shot first and prosecuted afterwards. Only when you embrace this mindset will you be able to understand why the local guides and tour operators would rather take you to an inactive crater and show you pictures of how it looked like 20/30 years ago when it active rather than take you to an active crater, which needless to say will be closed to the public. The only free place is still the sea, there are basically no restrictions for approaching lava flows into the sea from the sea, provided that the flows are there i.e.

Last Tree Standing, Rim of the Halema'uma'u Crater in the Kilauea Caldera

I’m happy to say Aloha to unremarkable Hawai tomorrow and Aloohhhaaaa to Yasur…Yes!