Editor Pick
Amazing - Almost Beyond Words
- September 11, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
MilwVon from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
With the location of the current lava flow, there are essentially two ways to really get a great view of it . . . by air (helicopter or plane) or by boat. Having done the air trip in 2007, we opted for the boat tour provided by Lava Ocean Adventures. We chose them after a lot of research, especially as some suggest that boat tours are operated outside the limits of safety. To address that issue right up front, volcanic activity is an act of nature and Madam Pele'. It is unpredictable and by its very nature carries some risk. With that said, Capt. Shane Turpin and his crew take safety as their first and primary responsibility. At no time during our two hour adventure did we feel our safety was threatened.
The LavaKai is a custom made vessel specifically for lava viewing tours. The boat is substantial in size (34'), coast guard inspected and accommodates up to 24 passengers. The seating is set up of optimal viewing from all sides and angles. There are life preservers on board, although the crew said their only use to date has been as seat cushions.
We took the sunrise tour, which meant meeting our group at 4:15am to convoy down to the launch location at Isaac Kepookalani Hale Park for a 5:00am departure. Due to this early time, and the fact that this is more than two hours from Kona, we stayed locally at the Hale Makamae B&B. Suggested by the staff at Lava Ocean Adventures, we were very happy with this decision. (See separate review on our stay with Petra & John at Hale Makamae B&B.)
With biological needs addressed (potty in the modern facilities), we were ready to board the LavaKai. Having never boarded a boat via step ladder, it was an interesting experience. Since this boat launch is just that, a launch and not a marina with docks, they have to load all passengers while the boat is still on the boat trailer. Once everyone is aboard and seated, we were backed down into the water for an on-time departure. WOOHOO . . . we were off.
The launch from the shore and subsequent return required significant throttle due to the incoming waves. This area of The Big Island is a very active surf shore, with potential for high seas which requires major engine power to get out from the shore. As they advised, the first couple of minutes were the most thrilling in terms of the sea.
Once out from the shore, the ride out to the current lava activity was about a 35 minute trip. At about the 15 minute point in our journey, we could see the surface (land) lava flows. It was a remarkable sight, especially predawn in the total darkness of night.
As we made our approach, the steam and ash could be seen . . . with the red glow growing increasingly visible. It was very exciting, heart racing exciting! Arriving at the actual entry point at around 5:40am, it was still dark with sunrise coming in about 20-30 minutes. You could feel the heat from the lava, but that wasn't the most significant sense to be tested here. Sure the sights were spectacular, but it was the sounds that were most surprising to me. The crackling of the lava entering the ocean; the loud pops of the eruptions created by the cold water waves entering the tubes bringing the lava out; and the rumblings UNDER the boat created by the air pockets beneath the water's surface were all amazing experiences.
During our time at the flow (roughly an hour), we were treated to several small bench collapses, a lot of aerial displays and tons and tons (literally) of molten lava pouring into the Pacific Ocean building new land on this youngest of the Hawaiian Islands.
Capt. Turpin steered the boat in a figure eight pattern to allow all passengers multiple views of the flows. He also took good care to keep us at a safe distance in hopes of protecting us from splatter and spew. While there was a significant amount of steam and ash created at the ocean's entry point, there was no stench of sulfur that you hear about. Here at this point, there is no such gaseous presence which was nice since I am asthmatic and did ask about this before booking our tour.
During our return from the flow area, we were provided with a coastline historical commentary by crew member Tam. It was very interesting to learn about prior volcanic activity in this area, as well as how the locals live in this remote Puna Region.
A word about the photography . . . the sunrise tour reached the lava flow before sunrise, so it was still pitch black. Pretty awesome to see, near impossible to get decent (sharp) photos due to darkness and boat movement (rocking). During that time, David was able to capture all of the action by video - - Canon SD600 and Flip Video.
Once sun was up a little, I was able to get some decent shots. While most are still not tack sharp, I was happy. I was shooting with my Olympus DSLR using my 14-54, f/2.8-3.5 lens (the one I bought for use at night with the aurora borealis). I had the ISO set at 400 to avoid noise and/or graininess, WB=5800 and auto focus was engaged. I also used the camera's preset function at "sports" in hopes that it would help a little too (based on advice from someone who was there last month). Tripods are not possible due to the safety on the boat.
In preparing for your trip, be sure to have warm clothing as dressing in layers will help to keep you dry. If you sit along the outer side of the boat, you must expect to get wet. I was drenched on that side of my body from head to toe, mostly from the trip back to the launch site. NOTE: The side of the boat that is along the coastline will get the wettest in each direction.
Because of the steam at the lava flow site and water in general, be sure to have your cameras in waterproof cases or garbage bags. I also took along a couple of hand towels to drape over my DSLR camera and David used our Canon SD600 in its underwater housing.
They offer tours throughout the day, but my guess is that the sunrise and sunset tours are probably the best for the visual experience. All tours are priced at $180pp for adults and $125 for kids. More information may be found on their informative web site: www.lavaocean.com.
About booking, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Keith who is the person you will most likely deal with by phone in planning and scheduling your adventure. He is also the person who does the first orientation before boarding the boat at the launch site. "WHAT A NICE MAN!" He was helpful, concerned and fun. You could tell that he enjoys and respects the lava and wants to make sure all guests have a fantastic time. He was clearly one of our highlights in terms of people we got to meet during our time on The Big Island.
We are very happy we chose to add this to our itinerary while here, as it was one of our highlight experiences of all of our trips to Hawaii.
P.S. I've posted two short videos over on Trip Advisor:
lava flow into the ocean before sunrise: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ProfileGallery-i21330963.html
lava flow shortly after daybreak: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ProfileGallery-i21322891.html
From journal Week Two in Hawaii: The Big Island's "OTHER" Side