FROM OUR ARCHIVES, Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Photos by GP Orbassano

Only a week after the massive eruption on Hunga Ha'apai on March 17-21, 2009, a group of four adventurers including a cameraman and an Italian golfer landed on the newly formed peninsula on the island and climbed up to the fragile rim of its volcanic crater, where there is a steaming sulphuric orange lake. But a volcanologist is now warning that the volcano remains extremely dangerous.

After flying over the volcano and photographing its smoking vent on March 21, GP Orbassano of the Waterfront Lodge and Restaurant, decided to go out in a boat on March 27 with a cameraman from the Discovery Channel and a fellow Italian restaurateur in Nuku'alofa, Marco Veronesi - who took along his golf bag.

They went out on a game fishing charter boat, the Southern Extreme. Using an inflatable dinghy they were able to land on the rocky black pumice shores of a large newly-formed extension to Hunga Ha'apai. GP said the landing was difficult because the sea was rough.

"The island is now as big as Fafa island," said GP. "The main crater is huge and on the beach there are two small vents."

The landscape is surreal. He said that there are large boulders lying on the ground that were thrown up by the eruption, but they crumble into dust when touched.

He reported that he ground was firm to walk on but the rim of the main crater is fragile and cracked.

While the Discovery Channel cameraman was filming the crater, Marco had time for a round of golf on the new land. "Marco is crazy about golf," said GP.

They noticed a few birds, including frigates and "sula" that were trying to return to nest on the cliffs of the original island.

"It is totally burnt, there are no trees left and the birds are starving, the volcano has killed the fish around the island - and the sea is yellow," he said.

Located about 62 km north east of the capital, Hunga Ha'apai is the remnant of the rim of a large submarine caldera . There have been four eruptions in the area in the last century.

Warning

In a warning to intending visitors to the volcano, an Australian volcanolgist Paul Taylor said on April 1, that Hunga Ha'apai remained extremely dangerous.

"I have had experiences and heard of many more, that indicate getting too close to erupting volcanoes is extremely dangerous and on many occasions life threatening.

"Volcanoes are unpredictable as they may not give any warning signs that eruptive activity is going to occur. Furthermore, the landforms produced during explosive activity remain unstable for a long period and are very susceptible to collapse.

"As an experienced volcanologist I would strongly caution against further landings on the island whilst it is in a state of activity," he said.

See also: Strong caution against further landings on volcano [2]