Video: Lava Enters the Ocean

Videographer Mick Kalber captured the lava entering the ocean on Sunday, May 20, 2018, in an overflight provided by Paradise Helicopters.

May 20, 2018 Lava Enters the Ocean from Mick Kalber on Vimeo.

Kalber stated:

Lava from the current Leilani Estates flow on the Big Island of Hawai‘i reached the ocean late last night. Two dozen fissures are issuing red hot liquid rock, which is coursing downhill, destroying homes, cars, roads… and anything else in her path. The fissures are now starting to settle down to an area south of the PGV Geothermal plant. Here she will most likely build a vent that will feed flows throughout the course of the eruption.

After crossing Highway 137, both a’a and pahoehoe flows poured over the sea cliffs in great volume just south west of Pohoiki. Numerous fingers of lava have stretched toward the sea overnight, covering many properties, and destroying some homes, while sliding by others. Dozens of homes have been destroyed since the eruption began nearly three weeks ago.

Although it began in Leilani and burned several homes there, she soon established her vents below the subdivision with towering fountains, spatter cones feeding gigantic lava flows. So far, no deaths have been reported. First responders have evacuated several residents who had become trapped by the fast moving flows.

Pohoiki Road and Highway 137 have both been covered with lava, but Highway 132 is still open as of this writing. No lava is currently erupting in the Leilani Estates subdivision.

Mahalo to the kind folks at Paradise Helicopters… they offer the finest charters in the islands!