Mauro Barberis, Kilauea (SINGLE SHOT 2022)

This image was taken 1 step away from Kilauea's crater, in the Big Island of Hawaii. I was there working with Adam Stern, the Australian freediving champion, we were there scouting new locations to run freediving courses, taking pictures in apnea of wrecks, wildlife, and freedivers. The owner of the AirBnB where we were staying told us that Kilauea was showing signs of activity.. Adam did not care about seeing the active volcano, but it was my first time near one, so I didn't want to miss it even if we had an early start the next morning. On arrival to the park, it was disheartening to see how fenced it is. It is not possible to see the whole crater from within the fenced perimeter. I waited until it was dark, and found a way to hike thru the thawed lava bedrock, and made my way closer to the crater. The distance was not that long, but it was pitch black, and the terrain is extremely uneven and treacherous, which made the hike 2 hours each way including climbing on the way back. I managed to make it to the edge of the crater, literally 1 more step would've put me on the crater's slope. I'll never forget the sound. This picture was my favorite of the entire Hawaii trip. Not the sharks, or the wrecks, the underwater caves.. but nature's most destructive and creative force.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.