There are four ways to get to the lava… You can hike it, you can bike it, fly to it, or go by sea. I had done all of the other ways, it was time to take a boat.
Lava from the Kilauea volcano enters the ocean at Kamokuna
The 61G lava flow has been flowing into the sea at Kamokuna for several months now allowing the lava tour boat business to resume after a three year pause. I have biked to this flow, but a view from the water was an attractive option for photography. After multiple discussions with a few photographers I know I had decided to go out with Kalapana Cultural Tours, a local business with years of experience on these waters, a choice which proved to be a good one!
After this latest trip to see the lave I was recalling all of my previous effort to photograph the lava. It has resulted in quite a few beautiful photographs, many of which have appeared here on DarkerView…
The lava lake at Halemaʻumaʻu with several fountains of lava along the far rim, May 2, 2015.
An active pāhoehoe breakout at Kupapaʻu
An active pāhoehoe breakout at Kupapa’u
A Paradise Helicopter doors off photo tour hovers over the ocean entry at Kamokuna
An active pāhoehoe breakout at Kupapa’u
The plume at Halema’uma’u lit up at night as seen from the Mauna Kea VIS
Lava from the Kilauea volcano enters the ocean at Kamokuna
A skylight allows a view into an active lava tube near the top of lava flow 61G at Kilauea, photo by Deborah Cooper
The 61G lava flow ocean entry at Kamokuna under the light of a full Moon
A pāhoehoe breakout near Kupapa’u
An active pāhoehoe breakout at Kupapa’u
A large breakout in the lava flow 61G
Lava from the Kilauea volcano enters the ocean at Kamokuna
Lava from the Kilauea volcano enters the ocean at Kamokuna
An active pāhoehoe breakout at Kupapa’u
Lava from the Kilauea volcano enters the ocean at Kamokuna
Lava moves forward in the flow field at Kalapana
Cooling pahoehoe lava glows red at Kalapana
Pahoehoe lava breaks out to flow forward and form another pillow at Kalapana
Lava from the Kilauea volcano enters the ocean at Kamokuna
An active pāhoehoe breakout at Kamokuna
An active pāhoehoe breakout at Kupapa’u
A littoral cone formed at the end of a lava flow near Kalapana glows red under the stars, the planet Jupiter shines above the glowing plume
Most people think that lava flows simply ooze forward and cool in place. But there is more going on than this simple version. Yes, flows ooze forward, but much of the mass of a lava flow arrives later, the flow can inflate to many times the volume as more lava arrives and lifts the crust from underneath.
A very close view of advancing pāhoehoe lavaHow many of us have played with molten wax from a candle, or perhaps simply watched a thick syrup or honey flow over a pancake? An observant person watches things like this and learns how materials behave. The problem is that these lessons, while valuable, sometimes do not translate well to all cases. Lava is a good example, it behaves much differently than many would expect.
The lava has been flowing into the ocean for a little over a month now and all my photographer friends are posting great photos. It is really past time I got myself down to Kalapana to see the lava. The real problem is that my vehicle has been in the shop and I had no way to carry the bike. The answer? Don wanted to make another go at it, his bike rack holds two! Can you pick me up on your way past Waikoloa?
The 61G lava flow ocean entry at Kamokuna under the light of a full MoonWhile the lava is further from the end of the road than on my previous hikes, a full 4.5miles, it is actually easier to get to. When earlier flows looked like they would cut the main highway into Puna the county re-cut Chain of Craters road across the lava flows. The road is closed to motor vehicle traffic, but foot and bicycle traffic is allowed. This gives a direct access to the current 61G lava flow without having to cross country for miles across older flows.
Note! The contents of this posting are obsolete, there is currently no surface lava accessible on the island. When it does reach the surface again I will most likely be there, look to see an update of this article in the future!
The 61G flow reached the ocean a month ago, but only this last weekend did I get a chance to go out and see it for myself. It is quite a bit further to go than previous visits, about four and a half miles, but is it also much easier. I realized that my Getting to the Lava post is a bit outdated and a serious update is in order.
The 61G lava flow ocean entry at KamokunaThe 61G flow began on May 24th, breaking out on the southeastern flank of Pu’u O’o. The flow moved fairly quickly, cutting the re-built Chain of Craters Road and entering the ocean on July 26th. The flow is quite vigorous with an ample supply of lava. There are currently multiple surface breakouts and multiple ocean entry points. The flow is building new land near Kamokuna, the lava delta has added around 11 acres to the Big Island in one month.
Map of the 61G lava flow as of July 2ndWith easier access and a dramatic ocean entry the 61G flow is drawing large crowds of visitors that have come to see the spectacle. In my opinion the trip is very much worth the effort. Still, there are inherent risks in experiencing raw nature like this. A little preparation is in order and may prevent a visit from becoming an emergency.
A helicopter ride over an active volcano… With no doors.
In mid-July deb and I took a helicopter flight over Kilauea with Paradise Helicopter. A lot of fun! I took all of the material we shot in our helicopter flight and assembled as a bit of video. A lot more view-able this way, more fun than a pile of images sitting on a disk.
On the other had I think I discovered all of the things that can go wrong when shooting from a helicopter with no doors! The wind and vibration is rough, making even the wide angle video of a GoPro jump about. Video shot on the DLSR’s was useless. I also discovered that helicopter blades passing in front of the Sun gives the GoPro Hero 4 Black exposure fits, with black ripples in the image. Thanks to image stabilization and fast shutter speeds the still photos are fairly good.
Seated in a steeply banking helicopter with nothing between me and the molten lava a couple hundred feet below is a thrill I will not soon forget. You can smell the sulfur and feel the heat. Hopefully a little of that comes through in the video.
