Photo: White Island Boat Tour North Island New Zealand

On a beautiful clear day, a boat tour has left behind White Island on the North Island of New Zealand, where the steam rising out of the crater can clearly be seen.

Off in the background, behind the wake of the boat, the active volcano of White Island clearly adorns the horizon with its steam from the crater rising hundreds of feet into the air. White Island has a lengthy history which first began in 1769 when Captain Cook named it White Island without realizing it was a volcano.

The Maori people were the first to make use of the island by using the sulphur and hunting the birds for food. In 1826, Europeans landed on White Island to explore and then in 1885, the exploitation of sulphur began which continued on and off for many years in the hands of various owners in between the volcanic eruptions.

White Island was privately owned by the Butte family in 1936 and they agreed for it to become a private scenic reserve in 1953. Fewer people were allowed to land on White Island and in 1997, the Butte family assigned guardians to the island. ... continue below the picture...

This picture is part of the photo album "Volcano Pictures" - there are more beautiful images waiting for you.

... Now, permission onto the island is only allowed if you are on one of the boat or helicopter tours offered by the guardians. This has preserved the condition of the volcanic landscape and the only changes are done naturally.

The boat tour is approximately eighty minutes each way with a few hours spent exploring the volcanic landscape of White Island on the North Island of New Zealand. When leaving White Island be sure to scan the surface of the water for any signs of wildlife such as dolphins or whales who regularly visit these waters.

A boat tour with White Island Tours is an adventure of a lifetime and should be part of anyone's vacation while visiting the North Island of New Zealand.

The tour leaves from the dock in Whakatane, New Zealand daily, with the exception of Christmas Day, as long as the weather and the volcano are cooperative.White Island, an active volcano, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, North Island, New Zealand.