Incredible Footage Shows What Happens When Hot Lava Meets the Cool Waters of the Ocean

On the southern shore of Hawaii’s Big Island, a gigantic volcano named Kilauea has been spitting fire constantly since 1983. The fire, as it escapes the rugged flanks of Kilauea, erupts into a raging furnace that shoots waterfalls of blazing molten lava that spill into the adjoining sea. In February 2013, explorer Kawika Singson (@63KVEEKSHAWAII) decided to capture this aggressive phenomenon in a video. By standing in a precariously dangerous position between the dripping lava and the land, he succeeded in capturing a one-minute-seven-second videotape. Raw, unrestrained fire meeting the calm, bubbling ripples of the sea evokes goosebumps.

In a conversation with The Huffington Post, Singson shared that this footage was part of a series that he filmed on the island in 2013. It was “insanely dangerous,” he said, given the rough swells of the sea. The footage opens with the crisp rub of his hand against the camera as it records the iridescent sky with the silhouette of a boat appearing in the backdrop. As he lowered his hand, the camera illuminated a vast expanse of bobbing seawaters. On one side, a wall of volcanic material that seemed to be giving itself away after an intense burning episode.

Pouring from this gigantic wall of scorching black volcanic material appears a piping-hot waterfall of fresh orange-red lava. While the charred jet-black material disintegrates and collapses into what scientists call “volcanic tuff,” the cascading lava rushes downwards to spill itself into the sea. As it meets the sea, the cool water coughs up plumes of white smoke that blur everything out from the screen for a few moments. The deluge of this glistening, glassy lava appears to provoke a ferocious storm inside the sea that seems to be churning restlessly.

Astonishingly enough, at a distance from the lava waterfall, the sea appears to be perfectly calm, its azure blue waters sparkling in the daylight. Only this particular patch of the water seems to be agitated by the wild torrent of lava. Another moment and the screen becomes covered by the bubbles of boiling sea waters before wrapping up the video. "It was extremely difficult to get to," Singson told The Huffington Post. "The videos can only show you so much, but to actually be there, to feel the heat… The heat is one thing, but the gases are extremely toxic."

The video struck a chord with the viewers. Some of them looked at it as a love story unfolding between fire and water. “The raw power of the lava meeting the immensity of the ocean,” wrote @marcokelly_23 in a X repost of the video. Others became fascinated by the scientific magic that this video demonstrated. “Nature’s fiery raw power,” as one person described it. Many said it’s planet Earth making “stone soup” in real time. “Instant rock,” one said. “Cobblestone generator,” said another viewer.

Watch the video here.

Several viewers framed the video from comical and hilarious perspectives. “Imagine being stranded in the middle of the ocean and just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, the current pushes you into a chunk of molten lava,” commented @crnwalker. @secretname2093 said, “You can see the lava cooling down from ‘How chill this dude is!’” Some others reflected what the fish swimming below feel like when encountering this lava waterfall all of a sudden. “Instant fried fish.”

You can follow Kawika Singson (@63KVEEKSHAWAII) on YouTube for more stunning nature videos.