Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park erupted forty separate times during 2025, with each eruption lasting roughly eight to ten hours. During these events, lava was expelled in brilliant red-orange fountains reaching as high as 1200 to 1500 feet. These eruptions occurred at fairly regular seven to ten day intervals while Volcano Observatory staff monitored conditions and announced via the internet whenever an eruption began.
Residents of the island live about two and a half hours from the volcano. While it might seem easy to observe at least one of the forty eruptions, visitors must arrive as soon as possible after an eruption starts to see the best fountaining. The hours at which these events begin remain unpredictable.
On the final day of a stay on the island in June, word arrived that an eruption had begun within minutes of its start. Because it felt like a final opportunity to witness the event, equipment was gathered for a race across the island to the National Park. After navigating through hundreds of vehicles, the atmosphere felt much like a major sporting event with huge crowds of spectators settling in to watch the show.
It is neither possible nor safe to get too close to the erupting volcano, but photos were taken from various viewpoints. From distant locations, the entire fountain is visible, but the most dramatic scenes came from a closer vantage point that obscured the base. Molten lava launched at incredible speeds and quickly turned from a blinding red-orange to black cinders that floated down. Clouds of smoke and gas filled the air near the fountain, creating an apocalyptic scene.
A short shutter speed and higher ISO were chosen to freeze the motion. A longer focal length lens helped home in on the intensity of the blast. Exposing to the right was essential given the range of brightness, so detail in some darker areas was sacrificed. This particular image provided the best opportunity to highlight textures in the fountain as well as the turbulence of the smoke and ash.
It is surprising that the eruptions have continued long past that June visit and persist to this day. There is hope for another opportunity to return for another show and more photography.
