HONOLULU (AP) 鈥� Hawaii tourism officials urged tourists to be respectful when flocking to a national park on the Big Island to get a glimpse of the , one of the world's most active volcanoes.
Kilauea, Hawaii鈥檚 second-largest volcano, began erupting Wednesday after a three-month pause.
The U.S. Geological Survey鈥檚 Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Thursday lowered Kilauea鈥檚鈥痑lert level from warning to watch because the rate of lava input declined, and no infrastructure is threatened. The eruption activity is confined to the closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
鈥淥ut of respect for the cultural and spiritual significance of a volcanic eruption and the crater area for many kama驶膩ina, the Hawai驶i Tourism Authority urges mindfulness when planning a visit to the volcano,鈥� the agency said in a statement Wednesday night, using a Hawaiian word often used for Hawaii residents.
For many Native Hawaiians, an eruption of a volcano has a deep yet very personal . Some may chant, some may pray to ancestors, and some may honor the moment with hula, or dance. Hawaiians ask that people keep a respectful distance.
鈥淒on't just get out your camera and take photos. Stop and be still and take it in," said Cyrus Johnasen, a spokesperson for Hawaii County who is Hawaiian. 鈥淚t's something that you can't pay for. In that moment, you are one with Hawaii.鈥�
In recognizing the sacredness of the area, he also urged visitors to not take rocks, refrain from horseplay and leave plants alone.
鈥淎 lot of plants up there are native,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust be mindful that you will leave a footprint. The idea is you leave one that鈥檚 small as possible.鈥�
Word of Kilauea's lava fountains spread quickly, bringing crowds to the park. 鈥淓xpect major delays and limited parking due to high visitation,鈥� said a Thursday.
There was no exact count available, but officials estimated the first day and night of the eruption brought more than 10,000 people, which is more than triple the number of visitors on a normal day when Kilauea isn't erupting, park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane said.
Several thousand viewers were watching the USGS's showing red pockets of moving lava Thursday morning.
鈥淲e were on social media, and we saw that it was actually going off while we鈥檙e here, so we made the drive from the Kona side," Andrew Choi, visiting with his family from Orange County, California, told the 鈥淭his feels so ridiculously lucky. We鈥檝e never seen anything like this.鈥�
Park officials suggested visiting at less-crowded times before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
Scientists expect the eruption to continue and remain confined to鈥痶he Halemaumau鈥痗rater in the park.
Early Wednesday, lava fountains were as high as 200 feet (60 meters) and decreased to 13 feet to 30 feet (4 meters to 9 meters) in the afternoon, according to the observatory.
鈥淧eople here on Hawaii Island are getting a spectacular show,鈥� Mayor Mitch Roth said. 鈥淎nd it's happening in a safe place that was built for people to come view it.鈥�
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, The Associated Press
