Day 44 At Sea - Krakatoa

Late this afternoon we entered the Sunda Strait which separates Sumatra from Java. Once thru the strait we will enter the Java Sea. Just to our east is the city of Jakarta in Java. At about 4:30 pm this afternoon we sailed past the storied volcanic island of Krakatoa. Its is spectacularly unimpressive. From the distance it did not appear to be significantly larger than Wild Horse Island in Flathead Lake. This volcano last erupted in May of 2009. But that is not where it made its name famous. That happened in August 1883 when it erupted with one of the most violent explosions in modern recorded history. At that time it ejected approximately 5 cubic miles of rock, ash and pumice. The force of the eruption is estimated to be 13,000 times the the yield of the nuclear bomb, Little Boy, that was dropped on Hiroshima toward the end of WW II. It was so loud that it was clearly heard over 1000 miles away in Perth in Western Australia.
The ship slowed down so we could take pictures of the rather quiet little island. I must say with an eruption as recent as last year one wonders if that is such a good idea. On top of that I learned that a 6.5 quake occurred in Sumatra today. That is right where we are sailing. We felt nothing. At this writing we are still afloat and eating well.
As you can see in the photos there was a heavy haze that blurred our view and made it seem even less threatening. The sea was flat as a pool table as if it were some type of trap enticing us closer. No thanks.
We will not stop in Java or Sumatra and we will even sail right past Borneo without so much as a shrunken head for our passing.
Tomorrow another day at sea.

Chris - "Sunrise, Sunset" - I caught the sunrise from my private spot on the aft of the ship this morning. What's more beautiful than that....well maybe sunset on Flathead Lake!"