Big Island Lava Sightings

One of the most common questions Safari Helicopters gets from customers interested in booking one of our Big Island helicopter tours is: will we actually see lava when we fly on either the deluxe volcano tour or the volcano safari tour? The answer is that most likely you will see lava flowing from one of the volcanoes during the portion of the flight that flies over Volcano's National Park. The odds are very good that you will see flowing lava but there is no guarantee because routes must vary due to weather, volcanic activity and wind. The likely hood of seeing actual lava is also increased because of the fact that Kilauea is the world’s most active volcano. Many visitors coming to Hawaii hoping to see an active volcano are surprised to find that not all lava is created equal. When a volcano spews forth its molten lava many different types of formations are created and volcanologists have a name for each one.

Some of the more common lava formations you are likely to see are Pahoehoe lava and A'a lava. Pahoehoe is a type of lava flow that has dried in a smoother billowy fashion. Pahoehoe lava is the lava formations that look like big pillows or strange rounded sculpture. A'a lava on the other hand is lava that has dried in a jagged and sharp fashion. Needless to say A'a is not good for walking on and will shred a pair of tennis shoes rather quickly. From one of Safari Helicopters tours over the incredible Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii you are likely to see large areas of Pahoehoe and A'a lava formations.

There are other interesting types of lava that are less common that you may come into contact with during a visit to the Big Island of Hawaii. These include lava formations such as Pele's hair, Pele's tears, and lava bombs. Pele's hair is a bizarre lava formation that is dried lava that, you guessed it, looks like hair. Pele's hair is thin strands of lava usually formed when fast flowing lava cools quickly. Another equally strange lava formation is Pele's tears which are usually found with Pele's hair and look like dried water drops, only black. Pele's tears are usually found at the bottom of Pele's hair. Another lava formation that is sometimes difficult to identify is lava bombs. Lava bombs are molten lava that is not entirely molten yet that has been blasted out of an active volcano and projected far through the air. As they fly through the air they usually take on a rounded shape, like a bomb.

No trip to the Big Island of Hawaii is complete without a helicopter tour over the Volcano National Park. Catching a glimpse of an active volcano is a sight to behold and one you are sure never to forget. Call or email Safari Helicopters for more information, or you can book your tour today right here: BOOK TOUR