I have visited Krakatoa twice before (2014, 2016). This visit the island had a whole new look. Gone was the large grove of trees on the southeast side, Gone was the higher summit of the Child of Krakatoa that had risen out of the ocean over the past 95 years. Gone was 2/3rds of the north side and summit which slipped into the ocean during a dramatic eruption in December 2018, creating a silent tsunami that once again killed unsuspecting people on the shores of Sumatra and Java. Emerged was new lava and ash that is slowly rebuilding the island.
The seven students in my Geography of SE Asia class read Krakatoa by Simon Winchester in anticipation of this outing. It is an excellent read.
West end of Java
We had an early morning three hour drive from Jakarta to Carita Beach. That was followed b a two hour speed boat ride out into the middle of the Sunda Strait.
Early view of Anak Krakatau--center, low island with steam coming out.
Rakata, part of the original Krakatau.
2022
Nine feet of new ash deposited since 2018.
The tiny pebbles of lava were not made for walking in Tevas.
Whiffs of sulphur brought out the masks for some.
A lava bomb. A large errupted rock the fragmented on impact.
After the hike we boated all around the island.
The only green we saw. Eventually wind, bird droppings, flotsam, and waves will bring in new plants and animals.
The crater on the northwest side.
We had lunch and snorkeled on the back side of Rakata
Boating back to shore, we were caught in a heavy downpour and lightening storm.
Our skilled boatman, got us back to the harbor with a simple compass and intuition, since the storm hid the shore from us for most of the way.
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