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Krakatau, Indonesia 201

Risk factors and risk most dangerous volcanoes in the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’,
management visitors who have their morning coffee in a boat in the
shadow of the volcano in the Sunda Strait’s choppy
Pumice mining was undertaken on the island until waters about a one-and-a-half-hour ride from the
1916 but after this ceased the western half of mainland say they feel safe (Supriyatin, 2007). Scientists
Rakata and Verlaten Island were designated a monitoring the volcano say Anak Krakatau is not
national monument in July 1919. The eastern half especially dangerous and will continue to rumble for
was added in 1925, and the islands were included in some time, but warn people to stay out of a 3km zone
the Ujung Kulon Nature Reserve, which had been around the mountain. The tourists have mixed feelings:
established in 1921. In 1982, Ujung Kulon was ‘We are a little worried sometimes when we heard the
made a national park. This led to a political problem big boom and we see rocks that fall, I don’t know, half
since the Krakatau Islands were politically controlled kilometre from the hole’, said one of a group of eight
by the Lampung province of Sumatra, but were part tourists who spent the night in a boat in the ocean to
of a Java-based park. This paradox was resolved in watch the volcano, ‘sometimes we see the splash inside
1990, when Krakatau was made a separate nature the ocean. That’s a little scary but no, I think it might
reserve. Park rangers have a station on Sertung be stupid but I feel safe’; ‘It’s spectacular, it’s just
Island, from which they patrol the island group. amazing to be here’, said a tourist from New Haven
Anak Krakatau is active and does emit ‘bombs’ in the United States, ‘I feel incredibly lucky to be able
and ash. This makes it dangerous to approach at all to see it’ (Supriyatin, 2007).
times, so visitors are advised to remain off-shore at
a distance of 3–5km in order to be relatively safe. Conclusions
On 6 May 2009 the Volcanological Survey of Krakatau then for tourism is a reminder of how
Indonesia raised the eruption alert status of Anak dangerous a volcano can be, but also an opportunity
Krakatau to Level Orange (intermediate danger of to have a ‘controlled’ extreme tourism adventure.
a major eruption level). Risk management is continuous and effective
through exclusion zones with respect to the volcano
Tourism itself, though nothing is known about the tour boat
Krakatau occupies the same position in the tourist operators or the associated fishing opportunities.
image of adventure and volcanoes as do Santorini References
or Vesuvius. It is a known powerful volcano
associated with a recorded major disaster and Furneaux, R. (1965) Krakatoa, Martin Secker and
tourists wish to see this in action if at all possible. Warburg, London
A unique location in the middle of the Sunda NASA Earth Observatory Landsat picture of Krakatau
Strait adds to this attraction. Krakatau can be island area (1992) www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
File:Landsat_krakatau_18may92_cropped.jpg. This
reached from either Sumatra or Java in file is in the public domain because it was created
approximately two hours by speedboat or three- by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that
and-a-half hours by slow diesel boat. There are ‘NASA material is not protected by copyright
three islands surrounding Anak Krakatau, all of unless noted’. (NASA copyright policy page or JPL
which are remnants from Krakatau before the Image Use Policy)
eruption of 1883. Besides the volcano, fishing is Simkin, T. and Fiske, R. S. (eds) (1983) Krakatau, 1883
very attractive in this location because the lagoons – The Volcanic Eruption and Its Effects, Smithsonian
created by the eruption are home to giant trevally, Institute Press, Washington DC
red snapper, grouper and many other reef fish. Supriyatin (2007) ‘Indonesia’s Krakatau roars, dazzles with
Wednesday 23 August each year is the anniversary fireworks’, Thomson Reuters, Sunday, 11 November
of the 1883 eruption and locals and tourists have an SVE Volcano News (2009) ‘Indonesia volcanoes activity
VSI – CVGDM reports: Recent events in 2008–2009:
opportunity to remember the disaster when they visit Anak Krakatau ( Sunda Strait)’, www.sveurop.org/gb/
Anak during the annual Krakatau Festival – not news/news.htm, accessed 25 September 2009
exactly a celebration, more of a cultural memorial Thornton, I. W. B. (1997) Krakatau: The Destruction and
dedicated to one of recent history’s most momentous Reassembly of an Island Ecosystem, Harvard University
natural disasters. While Anak Krakatau is one of the Press, Boston, MA

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