Whakaari

The White Island in the Bay of Plenty, just off Whakatane. This is the only live marine volcano in New Zealand. The boat journey takes about an hour and a half one way, revealing magnificent panoramic views of the island. Imminently the engines would stop so we could admire a passing school of dolphins or hundreds of gannets diving like bullets into the water, catching fish...
Out of so many pictures of marine life, my loved ones on the island or the crater itself, I surprised myself by selecting this somewhat sombre still. It's about the strange relationship between Man and Nature. There was once a sulphur mining factory on the island. An eruption ended the enterprise in an instant. Time has since skillfully blended all remnants of human activity into this barren, moon-like landscape while the infernal giant is quietly ever-present in the background.
If the tour wasn't so strictly guided for health and safety reasons, I'd have lost myself in the ruins of the factory - so much to explore!