Diving with volcanoes

Mount Etna, which repeatedly spews lava fountains; the images of Pompeii from the history book; childhood memories of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo; the ash cloud from the almost unpronounceable Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull, which paralyzed large parts of European air traffic in 2010; and most recently in 2021 the volcanic eruption on the Canary Island of La Palma – volcanoes are part of the history of the earth and of mankind, and they change the geography of the earth on land and under water again and again.

There is diving in many areas with active volcanoes, yes, they are often among the most fascinating diving areas of all. This is no coincidence: the underwater lava structures form a particularly interesting landscape, with archways, tunnels and caves. The holey lava forms rock structures that offer protection to sea creatures, so that volcanic regions often have a high abundance of fish. The volcanic structures are therefore quite attractive for divers who are happy about the diverse landscape and the abundance of fish.

Because we love the volcanic landscapes under and above water and have just followed the eruption on La Palma very actively, we would like to bring these two interesting things – diving and volcanoes – together here. This small course is about why both divers and volcanologists are well versed in pressure; how volcanoes behave and what their post-eruption legacies look like; what volcanoes under water are all about and how to recognize rock formations of volcanic origin; and last but not least about where and how to dive with volcanoes.

We, the Punkfishes Dominik Elsässer and Veronika Sievers, wish you lots of fun reading and diving!