A group of sailors witnessed the birth of a new island.

[Theowl32]

Incredible moment sailors witness the birth of an island: Underwater volcanic eruption creates new landmass around stunned yachtsmen

• Crew were sailing through the south Pacific when the water turned to stone
• Land rose up 'like the Sahara with rolling hills as far as the eye could see'
• They sailedtowards plume of smoke to find underwater volcano erupting

By SIMON TOMLINSON FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 06:51 EST, 2 March 2016 | UPDATED: 10:24 EST, 2 March 2016

This is the astonishing moment sailors witnessed the birth of an island when an underwater volcano erupted in the middle of the ocean. The crew of the yacht Maiken were sailing through the south Pacific near the Vava'u Islands in Tonga when they noticed that the water in the distance had turned a strange colour (above)

As the crew approached, the sea mysteriously turned to stone as the volcano pushed up new land

A beach in the middle of the sea: Before long, the land mass had, as one of the crew described it, bubbled up out of the ocean 'like the Sahara with rolling hills of sand as far as the eye could see'

They hadn't run ashore, but had instead found themselves surrounded by a huge raft of floating pumice stone

Mystery: The crew documented the phenomenon in a series of remarkable pictures as they sailed into the formation to investigate, not knowing at that time that a volcano was erupting just a few miles away

Recalling the event, sailor Fredrik Fransson said: 'We looked out and it was as if there was no more sea'

Read more: Incredible moment sailors witness the birth of an island
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook


Continued........

 

[TNHarley]

That is awesome! Thanks owl!

 

[Theowl32]

What they didn't yet know was that, just a few miles away, a volcano was erupting, spewing out the new land

The crew navigated cautiously towards the plume and found an island being created before their very eyes

They then watched as an island grew with each explosion at an underwater seamount called Home Reef

Underwater eruptions are thought to occur dozens of times a year, but in remotes areas or at depths inaccessible to humans

As such, this event excited scientists, but by the time researchers reached the site six months later, much of it had been washed away by waves


The eruption is thought to have had a more lasting impact on the environment, however, by attracting barnacles, corals, algae and oysters.

Eight months after the island's birth, some of it had washed up in Queensland, Australia, some 2,000 miles away.

Read more: Incredible moment sailors witness the birth of an island
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Global warming...what else could explain it?

 

[FJO]

It is only a matter of time before some capitalistic colonizing white bully of a country comes along and enslaves or kills the native population.

 

[mdk]

How neat to witness!

 

[Rustic]

Global warming...what else could explain it?

 

[jon_berzerk]

Global warming...what else could explain it?

my thoughts exactly

 

[Luddly Neddite]

This would be pretty amazing to see. If you search on You Tube, there are videos of the very first little bubbles becoming an island like a couple of feet across.

Cool.

 

[Iceweasel]

First one to stick a flag in it owns it!

 

[Theowl32]

First one to stick a flag in it owns it!

I wonder what the new flag would look like.

 

[Iceweasel]

First one to stick a flag in it owns it!

I wonder what the new flag would look like.

Any of those would work.

 

[EverCurious]

Unless the volcanicsm picks up, it most likely won't last long - I wouldn't buy it quite yet

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Unless the volcanicsm picks up, it most likely won't last long - I wouldn't buy it quite yet

Wtf does Mr Spock have to do with it???

 

[Fang]

First one to stick a flag in it owns it!

I wonder what the new flag would look like.

You're now my favorite poster. Thanks for that!