July 27, 2016 Ocean Entry!

Pele has once again reunited with her sister Na Maka, the Goddess of the Sea! Lava touched the ocean early Tuesday morning. as a very fluid pahoehoe flow covered the newly completed access road and moved quickly to the coast. Pele rolled over the Pali a month ago, mostly between Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision. This new flow, dubbed 61G is now well about 6 miles long, the ocean entry within the boundary of HVNP. Dozens of visitors made their way on foot and by boat to take in the captivating scene of hot liquid rock interacting with the Pacific Ocean. Some stood directly over the main breakout feeding lava into the water, as others kept their distance. We visited the vent and found a beautiful lava lake within to the west, and a great deal of lava moving quickly through a skylight on the northeast corner. Leilani the Hula Girl and Lava Ducky joined us today, along with special guest world famous photographer Michael Lienau. Bruce Omori and I were back with Paradise Helicopters’ superb pilot, Colin. Mahalo, Colin… fantastic job of helping us get the shots we needed!
Mahalo to Paradise Helicopters and Bruce Omori at Extreme Exposure