Source: Wikimedia Commons

Following the September 27^th eruption of Mount Ontake, a volcano in Japan that was considered to be mostly dormant since 1979, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Costa Rica issued an official communiqué extending condolences and solidarity to the honorable people of this Asian island nation at a time when the death count has climbed to 54.

Hiking to the peak of Mount Ontake is a popular activity among local tourists who can choose among various climbing routes. Climbing this colossus is also a sacred activity for Japanese people who rate the religious experience as being similar to climbing Mount Fuji. Most of the casualties caused by the late September eruption have been deemed to have been precipitated by falling rocks that flew from the ground when the volcano violently awakened.

According to a news report by the Weather Channel, about 1,000 rescuers are still combing through the rough terrain, which is now covered by phreatic lagoons and volcanic matter. The rescue effort near the summit is being complicated by noxious gases such as hydrogen sulfide.

Volcano tourism in Costa Rica is as popular as it is in Japan, and can be just as dangerous. Not all of Costa Rica’s nine active volcanoes can be visited at any given time. As explained by The Costa Rica Star in late December 2013, park rangers and volcanologist issued warnings to tourists visiting the Poas volcano in the province of Alajuela:

 

Recent volcanic activity along with sulphuric emissions and the heavy presence of noxious gases are prompting national park rangers in Costa Rica to take precautions with regard to visitors. Volcano tourism is very popular in Costa Rica during this season, and some of the most-visited volcanoes are certainly showing off their natural beauty, but officials are controlling visits by tourists.

The Poas volcano is the most active in terms of gasification, which has been constant. Sometimes visitors arrive at the gate [of the national park] and there’s a strong sulphur smell. This is when tourists who suffer from high blood pressure or asthma have to be careful, because it means that the wind is picking up and could hit the observatory.

Although many tourists are eager to visit active colossi such as the Arenal and Poas in Costa Rica, it is important to remember a 2010 report published by Earth Magazine on the potential dangers of volcano tourism:

In November 2000, rangers at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park made a gruesome discovery. The bodies of a man and a woman, in an advanced state of decomposition, were found near the site where lava from the Kilauea eruption flows into the sea, sending up plumes of scalding white steam.

Between 1992 and 2002, there were 40 fatalities, 45 serious injuries and 53 minor injuries reported within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Each year, tourists are injured, not just by volcanic laze, but by a variety of hazards — some mundane and predictable, others bizarre and unexpected.