July 30, 2010 – Kalapana, Hawaii
Video by David Corrigan
For Bo Lozoff, life at Kalapana Gardens is magical existence. But it is not necessarily the encroaching lava flow that has him on edge these days, but rather the throngs of tourists who are eager to put themselves in potentially dangerous situations, trespassing on the private property of residents living on the fringe of society, for a closer look.
According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, small active lobes of lava are about .6 of a mile to the west of the highway 130/137 intersection, while several slower moving, broader lobes have advanced less than 200 feet toward the north; lava was actively entering the ocean at two locations, and residents say the treasured Fox’s Landing black sand beach is currently being wiped out by a developing lava ocean entry.
The map that appears in this video is courtesy HVO at the USGS
Bo Lozoff’s YouTube site with other lava video can be found here
This guy is creeepy.
A tiny pocket of other-worldly life on this planet… It looks beautiful, terrifying, fascinating. The residents there, as caring stewards of a wild natural place, are dealing with an age old problem of disrespect for wonderous and sacred places, events and things. It is a tough, but important task. One where keeping a cool head and some kind of balance must be a challenge. Hopefully this article will enlighten some curiosity-seekers to gain a ittle more understanding and respect. It’s understandable to be drawn to such places, but important to approach with awe and innocence, and at least a modicum of humility.
Thanks to the lava-keepers for your task.
I thought it was beautiful.