David Griffing   |   Where lava meets the Pacific 1   |   geology   |   January 2009

“I grew up on boats and yet I felt an adrenaline rush as we pitched and rolled.”

 
The group boards the 34-foot Lava Kai for a trip to view lava entering the ocean.
First mate and guide Keith Starkey points out features along the coast as we make our way southwest to the lava ocean entry.
Large waves batter the ocean cliffs along the southeast side of Hawaii.
A lava tube cave is exposed along the sea cliffs.
Matt Caldwell '10 photographs the steam cloud as we approach the lava ocean entry point.
 
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As a last minute change to the Hawaii J Term course, we added a sunset lava boat tour. Upon meeting the crew at a remote park, our group climbed a ladder to board the 34-foot long catamaran while it was still on the boat trailer. I wondered why they didn’t load the passengers at a dock until I saw the tall surf just beyond the boat launch. The boat backed quickly into the surf, gunned the engine, and turned into the approaching waves. For the next hour, we rode along the crests and troughs of 8 foot tall ocean swells to the lava’s ocean entry. Find “Where lava meets the Pacific 2” for more.

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