Two formidable foes squared off time and again. Pele, the goddess of fire, lightning, and volcanoes, hurled great volumes of fiery molten rock only to see her sister Namaka, the sea goddess, squelch it with tidal waves. First Kauai, then Oahu, Molokai, and Maui. Finally, on the island of Hawaii, Pele stood her ground, digging deeper into Earth’s inferno. Unvanquished, Pele made her home in a boiling lava lake, Halema’uma’u Crater within Kilauea Caldera — the most active volcano in the world. Pouring over 300,000 cubic yards of lava each day toward the sea, Pele creates the newest land on Earth. With deep respect, I set out to explore Pele’s home from several vantage points — by air, sea, and land.
By Air
My first reconnaissance took me high above Kilauea aboard a helicopter piloted by Paradise Helicopters’ Joel Van Brunt. Four of the six passengers aboard enjoyed window seats with phenomenal, almost 360° views. Our “Experience Hawaii” tour departed Kona Airport for a two-hour flight that extended to almost three, thanks to Pilot Van Brunt’s enthusiasm for his home island.
We navigated northward first, sailing over the lush oasis of Northern Kohala, and then inland over Waip’o Valley. Rolling through deep, green canyons, we saw 2,000-foot waterfalls cascading down the steep valley walls. Five, eight, ten, a dozen waterfalls gracing the verdant valleys.
Continuing inland over the volcanic mountain, Mauna Kea, we hit a hard rain. As we crested the peak, the rain stopped abruptly and a sunburst sent us floating through a circular rainbow. Excitedly Van Brunt cheered, “Can you believe this, can you believe this?” as if seeing it for this first time like the rest of us.
Skimming along the eastern shoreline, we viewed turquoise waters edged with lacy white foam. In places, the sea collided against tall green cliffs. In others, it lapped across white, golden, or black sand beaches. Headed south, we made our way toward Hawaii National Volcano Park and Pele’s lair.
Looking down, I saw a silvery brocade with intricate orange needlework. The ground appeared more like an immense, exquisite ball gown than what I imagined a volcanic field to be. As we dipped closer, I could make out red-gold rivulets of liquid fire flowing through thick folds of cooled lava. In places the fabric looked torn, revealing golden pools of molten lava. From this elevation, Pele’s handiwork seemed more art than devastation.
Returning home, we enjoyed sunset over Kona and the glitter of city lights coming alive at dusk. My first glimpse of Pele’s magic left me wanting more.
By Sea
Pele’s feud with her sister Namaka continues. I witnessed the ferocity of their ongoing rivalry up close aboard a small vessel only 50 yards from a powerful lava spout pouring into the sea.
Lava Ocean Tours, one of only four companies licensed by the Coast Guard to operate in these treacherous waters, launched its lava boat from the Pohoiki Boat Ramp in Isaac Hale Beach Park. First Mate Jacob Kerby checked in the 49 passengers and ensured that we all met the Coast Guard’s criteria — 4-75 years old, under 250 pounds, and in good health with no back, bone, or other injuries. While still in dry dock (actually the boat sat atop a big truck), we boarded the boat by climbing a tall ladder and slinging legs over the side. Once aboard, Captain Shane Turpin guided the truck down the ramp, and then launched LavaOne into the sea.
The 40-foot aluminum catamaran, powered by four Honda 250hp motors, sped across the water. The crew had warned us that we would get wet, and we did. The boat crashed against wave after wave for 30 bone-crushing minutes until we reached the site of the lava’s ocean entry at Kamokuna inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
As we approached the lava spout, great plumes of steam billowed around the cliff where lava met water. First Mate Kirby informed us that the lava flowed from Pu’u O’o Vent down the slopes of Kilauea, and then seaward both above ground and below in lava tubes for seven and half miles.
Suddenly, the steam curtain in front of us parted to reveal a dramatic glimpse of fire. Pele’s long, red tongue lashed out in anger toward her enemy in the sea. A hailstorm of volcanic shrapnel followed, hitting the aluminum roof over our heads. Later I learned that the danger comes from not only the proximity to 2000-degree lava and shooting rocks, but the steam as well. The plume cloud, laden with sulfur dioxide and hydrochloric acid, can be deadly to those inhaling it.
Captain Turpin turned LavaOne starboard to port and back again to give all aboard a chance to see and photograph the lava spout. Much too quickly our time with Pele ended, and we headed back to the dock. While the trip back was as rough and wet as the voyage out, all aboard took it in stride and seemed lost in quiet reverie. We had witnessed Pele’s power at close hand.
By Land
Pele’s formal name in the Hawaiian language is Ka wahine `ai honua — the woman who devours the land. In truth, Pele both destroys and creates. Each day, Kilauea produces the newest land on Earth as molten lava meets the sea and cools to black terra firma. Over time, this nutrient-rich land welcomes seeds, sprouting plants, and finally insects, birds, and animals. Hiking in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park gave me a chance to appreciate Pele’s creative side.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park offers 150 miles of hiking trails and a six-mile drive around part of Kilauea’s rim. The park’s Jaggar Museum, perched near the caldera rim, provides unobstructed views of the smoldering volcano. A 38-mile drive, Chain of Craters Road, descends 3,700 feet toward the site of the current lava flow. While park rangers close areas around erupting vents, they allow visitors to hike very close to a surface flow. Planning is key, since it can take more than an hour to walk miles across rough black lava rock to reach a flow. Walking on the uneven surface of cooled lava at night can be ankle-turningly difficult.
The most accessible hike in the park is Kilauea Iki, a four-mile loop around the site of a major 1959 eruption. The hike begins with a gentle descent through a lush rainforest, accompanied by the sweet songs of honeycreepers. The path leads to a vast moonscape of crater floor. On this spot on November 14, 1959 Kilauea Iki (which means little Kilauea) erupted unexpectedly. Fountains of lava gushed almost 1,900 feet skyward, the highest ever recorded. For five weeks, molten lava spouted from the vent, creating a lava lake over four hundred feet deep. Though long cooled and solidified, steam continues to escape from deep cracks in the crust.
As I walked across the crater floor, streaks of color began to stand out in the stark terrain. Reds, purples, and golds created by volcanic gases oxidizing iron-rich minerals in the rocks. Splashes of white surrounded steam vents — calcium sulfates and silica brought to the surface by steam. Tiny crystals of green olivine sparkled on the crater surface. Hawaiians refer to olivine’s gemstone, peridot, as Pele’s tears. Here, in Kilauea Iki her tears seemed those of joy not sadness.
Legend credits Hiʻiaka, Pele’s youngest sister, with bringing life to the barren lava. Goddess of rain, medicine, and hula, Hiʻiaka loves flowers and forests. All around me, I saw evidence of her work. Windblown seeds had taken root in cracks where moisture collects. Nurtured by the nutrient-rich lava, the plants break the rock into soil as they take root and grow. Walking across the crater, I saw the tender shoots and flowers of Pa‘iniu, one of the few native lilies in Hawai‘i, lift its head out of crevices. Ohi’a trees with their bright, spiky red flowers grow abundantly, some over six feet tall. Over time, nature would return this once-barren crater to forest.
From air, sea, and land, I’d witnessed Pele’s magic — for ill and for good. Though time and again Pele destroyed everything in her wake, life reasserted itself in the rich land she created. The experience reaffirmed for me nature’s awesome regenerative powers, a blessing given the destructive folly of gods and humans.
_______________________________
By Air: Several helicopter companies operate on Hawaii. Paradise Helicopters, https://paradisecopters.com/ offers tours from both Kona and Hilo. As of this writing, the “Experience Hawaii” tour costs $539 per person.
By Sea: The four lava boat tour operators currently licensed are Lava Ocean Tours, Moku Nui Lava Tours, Kalapana Cultural Tours, and Hawaiian Lava Boat Tours. The Lava Ocean Tours’, http://seelava.com/, adult fee was $180 with a $20 cash discount.
By Land: The National Park Service offers the best guides to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, including downloadable hiking guides https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm.
The Fire Goddess: The beautiful artwork that appears at the beginning of this post is by Hawaii eco artist and filmmaker Laurie Sumiye, based in Mililani, Hawaii. Laurie’s work, including the calendar in which the Fire Goddess appears, can be purchased on her website: http://lauriesumiye.storenvy.com/.
I finally Had time to read this…Wow I just love how you write. Felt Like I was there and Helicopter. All I can say is WOW!!!