Hawaii Lava Entering The Ocean

Lava Reaches The Ocean on Hawaii Island

 

Stay at Hale Moana Bed & Breakfast and see the lava:

See here the Hawaii News Now up-date.

Hawaii island tour operators enjoyed their own version of Black Friday weekend when lava from Kilauea Volcano’s Puu Oo vent spilled into the ocean Saturday afternoon, prompting a surge of business from locals and visitors eager to witness the spectacle.

Geologists from the University of Hawaii-Hilo were on hand when the lava met the ocean around 1 p.m. at a location just east of the eastern foundry of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The lava entering the ocean comes from one of two active flows on the coastal plain.

The volume of lava pouring into the ocean has not yet produced the dramatic steam clouds seen in previous ocean entries. Regardless, tour operators in the area had all the business they could handle today.

“It’s always steady around here,” said Shane Turpin, lead captain at Lava Ocean Adventures and Lava Ocean Tours Inc. “It’s just more people are interested in seeing the active flow where it’s entering the ocean.

“When it does touch the ocean, we run a more specialized just-lava-watching tour,” he said. “Being able to see it on land is one thing; when it’s touching the ocean, it’s quite an exciting time.”

Turpin spent part of a hectic Sunday morning on a video shoot for the Weather Channel.

An experienced tour operator, Turpin has learned to react quickly to opportunity.

“I’ve been following this volcano my whole life, and I’ve stopped trying to predict it,” he said. “I just sit here and enjoy it when it’s happening.”

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters manager Chelsea Nichols said business at the Hilo location increased over the weekend with people interested in viewing the relatively rare event.

The eruption in Kilauea’s middle east rift zone started on Jan. 3, 1983, and has continued with few interruptions at Puu Oo Cone or from vents within a few kilometers to the east and west, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

On Sept. 21, 2011, a fissure eruption on the east flank of Puu Oo drained lava lakes and fed a flow that passed through the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision and into the ocean.

The lava entered the ocean in December, but the flow stopped in January and hadn't reached the ocean again until this weekend.

Here are different ways of seeing the lava, when you are staying at Hale Moana Bed & Breakfast:

The Kalapana Lava Viewing Area is only 10 minutes from our Bed & Breakfast at the end of Hwy. 130. From here you can see lava flowing down the mountain towards the ocean from a distance. This area is easily accessible.

Lava Hiking Tours: Guided tours out to the lava are available almost daily through Kalapana Cultural Tours from Kalapana (10 minutes from us). The hike will take you directly to the lava flow. Guest feedback for these walks is excellent. You have to be in physically good condition to do the hike. Flashlights and water will be provided.

Lava Boat Tours by Lava Ocean Adventures leave from the Pohoiki boat ramp, which is a 10 minute drive from our B&B. When the lava flows into the ocean it is an unbelievable experience to see how the elements meet. Captain Shane and his crew are an experienced team and offer visitors an unforgettable trip.

Helicopter Tours from the Hilo Airport offer an aerial view of the Pu'u O'o crater, eruption areas, lava flows and ocean entry, when lava flows into the water. Flights are only available during the day, no night flights for safety reasons. Helicopter Tour operators include: Blue Hawaiian, Paradise & Safari Helicopters.