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Feeling the Heat Up Close to a Hawaiian Volcano (PHOTOS) | The Weather Channel
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One tourist can even be spotted standing just yards from the lava flow.

ByNicole Bonaccorso•March 7, 2017


These tourists were really feeling the heat - as their sightseeing boat came perilously close to a flow of lava.

(Eric Leifer/ Caters News)


Lava boat tours are a common occurance near Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano, but that doesn't mean they are without controversy. In these photos, you can see a boat getting perilously close to a lava flow, which sends steam billowing as it hits the sea.

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A tourist boat floats close to the lava flow in Kalpana, Hawaii.

(Eric Leifer/ Caters News)


One tourist can even be spotted standing just yards from the lava flow, on the rocks above the water.


These tourists were really feeling the heat - as their sightseeing boat came perilously close to a flow of lava.

(Eric Leifer/ Caters News)


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One tourist can be spotted standing just yards from the source of the lava flow, spilling into the ocean below. As he films the lava streaming into the water, steam erupts from the sea below him and jets into the sky. In another picture, a group of tourists in a boat sail perilously close to the plumes of steam, which are common in the area.

(Eric Leifer/ Caters News)


Photographer Eric Leifer explained that the lava tours are "highly controversial because of obvious safety concerns."


Smoke created by the lava entering the ocean in Kalpana, Hawaii.

(Eric Leifer/ Caters News)


In the past few weeks, the U.S. Coast Guard has cracked down on some of Hawaii's illegal lava tours, according to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Tourists are urged to check for a visible Coast Guard certificate of inspection before boarding for a tour of Volcanoes National Park.

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"Ocean entries of lava are highly explosive and dangerous, so keeping a safe distance is a very good idea," Leifer told Caters News Agency. "The photo of the guy really, really close to the lava made for a great photo from my perspective, although I wouldn't recommend doing it and he clearly didn't understand the risks."