Monday, April 20, 2015

White Island - again!

Okay, I can't help but post too many pictures about our second--and this time, successful--trip to Whakatane and into the Bay of Plenty to White Island volcano. I LOVE VOLCANOES! This time, the sea was WAY calmer and we got there without sea sickness.


The crew motored us to shore in groups in a dinghy. (Check out the low rainbow behind the boat!)


And we got decked out in our helmets and gas masks and headed toward the crater(s).



The sulfur deposits were INCREDIBLE.


As was the opportunity to get this close to the main crater of an active volcano.


The colors and the scenery were just so beautiful.



And the ruins of the sulfur mining operation that used to exist here lent an even eerier feeling to the island.


On the way home, we saw schools of these amazing, bright blue fish, plus several bottle nose dolphins. No pictures of those, unfortunately, but a nice view of the volcano as we motored away from it, back to the mainland...


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