First photographs emerge of new Pacific island off Tonga

Three men scale peak of new one-mile island off Tonga which is believed to have formed after a volcano exploded underwater and then expanded

New volcanic island at Hunga area of Tonga, Pacific Islands Photo: GP Orbassano

By Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney

11:28AM GMT 11 Mar 2015

The first photographs have emerged of a newly formed volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean after three men climbed to the peak of the land mass off the coast ofTonga.

^{The pre-eruption satellite view before the island on the left became fused with the volcanic crater created by Hunga Tonga (Pleiades © CNES 2015)}

^{The post-eruption satellite view after the island on the left became joined to the crater which created a larger land mass (Pleiades © CNES 2015)}

^{The new volcanic island (centre) forms a trio with the older Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai volcanic islets, Tonga (All pictures taken by GP Orbassano)}

The three locals from Tonga visited the island on Saturday, landing on a black beach and climbing to the rim of the crater.

They said the surface was still hot and the green lake in the crater smelt strongly of sulphur.

"It was a perfect day, with fantastic views – bright blue sky and the sea was the same colour as the sky," GP Orbassano, one of the locals, told Tonga's Matangi Online.

The one-mile long cone-shaped island began forming last month, about forty miles from the nation's capital, and is now safe to walk on.

Experts believe a volcano exploded underwater and then expanded until an island formed. The island is expected to erode back into the ocean in a matter of months.

Mr Orbassano said he believed the island was high enough for it to remain for some time – and potentially attract tourists.

^{Gianpiero Orbassano and Branko Sugar on top of the crater rim}

"There are thousands of seabirds – all kinds, laying eggs on the island," he said.

Tonga's lands and natural resources ministry said last month the island was half a mile wide and just under a mile long. It is believed to be about 820 feet high.

^{(All pictures taken by GP Orbassano)}

Mr Orbassano, 63, an Italian who moved to Tonga more than 20 years ago, previously had a career in photography and took a series of photos of the new island.