The
Kilauea
Volcano
The very first of Stage
Two will allow us to visit Kilauea in two different ways.
During the day, if you wish, you can actually hike up to the volcano
and take a look.
Then that same night, our ship will pass by the
volcano to give everyone a spectacular view of the continual lava
flow as it enters the ocean.
Every night, the slithering lava flow lights up the
night sky. This makes
for quite a show as the cruise ship
sails past.
Kilauea is currently
the Earth’s most active volcano. It is the most recent of a series of
volcanoes that have created the Hawaiian archipelago of islands over
eons of activity.
Kilauea has been in a
state of almost constant eruption since 1983. The volcano only rises
4,090 feet above sea level, but it is still growing. There were 45
eruptions of the volcano in the 20th century alone and Kilauea
ejected lava into the air as recently as March of 2011.
Kilauea is only
volcano in the world that is simultaneously active enough to be
interesting, docile enough to be harmless, and carefully monitored
enough to be approachable.
As a result,
the volcano is a major tourist draw.
Kilauea is visited by roughly 2.6 million
people annually, most of whom proceed up the volcano from the
recently revamped Kilauea Visitor Center near the park entrance. A
number of hiking trails, points of interest, and guided ranger
programs exist, and the Chain of Craters Road, Hilina Pali Road, and
Crater Rim Drive provide direct access to the volcano.
To learn more about
Kilauea and view 32 amazing photos, click
Kilauea Volcano
