White Island (Whakaari)

Whakaari/White Island is an active andesite stratovolcano, situated 48 km from the east coast of the North Island, in the Bay of Plenty. The nearest mainland towns are Whakatane and Tauranga.

The island is roughly circular, about two km in diameter, and rises to a height of 321 m above sea level. However this is only the peak of a much larger submarine mountain, which rises up to 1600 m above the nearby seafloor.

The full Māori name for the island is ‘Te Puia o Whakaari’, meaning ‘The Dramatic Volcano.’

The waters surrounding White Island are well known for their fishing. Yellowtail kingfish abound all year round, and there is deep water fishing for hapuka and bluenose (type of warehou) in the winter and blue, black and striped marlin and yellowfin tuna in the summer. A small charter fleet offering day trips and overnight or longer trips operates from the nearby port at Whakatane.

Volcanos

Whakaari’s eruptions have produced both lava flows and explosive eruptions of ash. It is New Zealand’s only active marine volcano and perhaps the most accessible on earth, attracting scientists and volcanologists worldwide as well as many tourists. It marks the northern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone.