A brand new volcanic island has formed off Tonga, and one adventurous photographer has shared the first beautiful photos from his journey to the location.
[fwdevp preset_id=”8″ video_path=”NLzFZ6Vla08″]The local men visited the island on Saturday by landing on a black beach and climbing to the rim of the crater.
One of the men, GP Orbassano, 63, said: “It was a perfect day with fantastic views – bright blue sky and the sea was the same colour as the sky.
“There are thousands of seabirds – all kinds – laying eggs on the island.”
The men added that the island’s surface was still hot and a green lake in the crater smelt strongly of sulphur.
The cone-shaped island started forming last month and is now safe for people to walk on.
Experts think that a volcano exploded underwater and expanded until the small land mass formed.
The island is expected to erode back into the ocean within months.
However Mr Orbassano believes that the island is high enough to remain there for some time – and says it could even attract tourists.
New island formed in the South Pacific after underwater eruption of volcano in Tongahttp://t.co/wxHB1p0eyO pic.twitter.com/yCY3QWf1FB
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 12, 2015
First pictures of Tonga’s newly-formed volcanic island (photo by GP Orbassano) [700 X 467) via http://t.co/4Nx7HJyB2s pic.twitter.com/NxsgMuVXr4
— George Divel (@GeorgeDivel_) March 12, 2015
https://twitter.com/RAPacificBeat/status/575801454935453696
First photographs emerge of new Pacific island off Tonga http://t.co/Q7DRP82J4P pic.twitter.com/M5Nup0Q3mY
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 11, 2015
Agencies/Canadajournal