Pacific Ocean gives birth to a new island

Three men have scaled the peak of the new one-mile island off Tonga. It has been speculated that the island formed when an underwater volcano exploded and expanded, breaking the ocean’s surface.

A 63-year-old Italian photographer, Mr. G. P. Orbassano, who moved to Tonga over 2 decades ago, took these spectacular pictures of the Pacific Ocean’s new island.

Gianpiero Orbassano said they day they went to the island was perfect.

Mr. Orbassano said he believes the island is high enough that it will remain for some time, so it could attract tourists.

The island’s visitors said the surface was still hot, and the green lake in the crater smelled strongly of sulphur.

The cone-shaped island began forming last month and is now safe to walk on.

It is expected that the island will erode back into the ocean in a matter of months.

Accordingto Mr. Orbassano, there are thousands of many types of seabirds laying eggs on the island.

The island is about a half-mile wide, just under a mile long, and about 820 feet high.

Approaching the new island.

The new island sits between Tong’s Hunga Tonga and HungaHa’apai volcanic islets.

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