Blowhole on the shoreline of Espanola
Below the cliffs on Espanola, where the black lava pours into the sea, the oncoming waves rush through an unseen maze of underwater caves and crevices to roar out of the rock through a blowhole. The salty spray attracts a cast of Sally Lightfoot Crabs that gathers to keep their gills wet and forage on the algae growing on the rocks.
It turned into a game, watching the oncoming waves and trying to time the next eruption. The largest sprays came when a big wave followed just as a previous one was rushing back to sea. The water in the tunnel has to drain out before the next wave quickly floods into the cavity. First comes a rush of air and then the spurt of water. From the right angle the spray makes a lovely rainbow.
