Lava Lake to Pacific Ocean in Vanuatu

This is the heart of Marum crater on the island of Ambrym in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu. Here, at roughly 100 meters wide, a lake of molten lava bubbles and splashes, day and night. It gives off tremendous heat and a plume of toxic gases, so it can only be visited by experts using special safety equipment.

Located at the very bottom of the Marum caldera, this is one of only 5 open lava lakes in the world. It has been active since the early 1990s. 

The lava lake is not the only outlet for volcano’s pressure. Dotted around the floor of the crater are fumaroles - vents in the rock that allow steam and sulphurous gases to escape.

The wall of Marum crater is about 300m high. In some places, it is a vertically sheer cliff.

This is a view from the lip of Marum Crater. While the lava lake bubbles and boils below, the lip of Marum Crater affords an expansive view of the central plains of Ambrym Island. 

This cinder cone was once the site of  another active crater called Marumliglar. Dormant now, the cinder cone rises above the surrounding plain and can be used as a landmark to orient yourself.

Marum is one of several volcanoes on Ambrym Island, and one of many in Vanuatu. Here we can see the large plume of toxic gas rising from the lava lake and crater floor below. 

Once we’ve passed across the lava fields, Willy leads us down the mountainside into the lush jungles of Ambrym. These tropical rainforests are thick with vegetation and home to many plants and animals.

Towering above the forest floor, these palm trees are a feature of Pacific rainforests. 

Having reached the shores of the Pacific ocean, our guide Willy leads us along the beautiful beaches of Ambrym. Unlike the beaches you might be familiar with, Ambrym has beaches made of black sand.

The black sand is produced by erosion of the lava rock that makes up the island. One violent source of these particles comes from hot lava flows reaching the ocean where it is rapidly quenched and fragmented.

Vanuatuan cuisine incorporates fish, root vegetables (e.g., taro and yams), fruits (e.g., papayas, pineapples and mangoes), and vegetables (plantains and sweet potatoes). These foods grow abundantly and most island families also grow gardens, so food shortages are rare.

Here coconuts are hanging high up in a palm tree. Villagers will collect coconuts from oth on the tree and the ground below, and make use of the shells and the water and “meat” inside. Coconuts are an essential ingredient to many Vanuatuan dishes. Coconut cream is used as part of “laplap”, the national dish.

Endu is one of several villages on Ambrym. The Chief, Miles Moses, has spent decades building his village into a place welcoming to visitors and capable of hosting outsiders while retaining traditional cultures and ways of life. 

Many of the houses in Endu are still built the traditional way using materials harvested and collected from the forests nearby. It often rains heavily. With a house raised off of the ground, rain water will not come inside. Having a raised floor also makes it easier to keep the house clean and can help keep out insects and animals.

The area around the school serves as the community’s village square. The sticks in the ground are goal posts for playing soccer.

Rainwater is an important part of the water supply. Rain is collected via the roof guttering, and then funnelled and stored inside an enclosed tank.