Almost Too Late [via David Angsten]



We don’t really think about it on a daily basis, but the Earth is still changing all the time. It just happens so slowly that we can’t really perceive it. But every now and then, things speed up… a lot.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxLNNdaLeNaN3PwMYw8iWL3tgE97Wr_etFQWJ5B5mBKbylOR1_8rH9937IETp6cUU1CuFJ_Dqy9qPZWuZrHSlmAr8xtaFp6sbsvAa3hE_hAwkyZMm_kJTusrpP8aAvrVA5NQ3zaJn4Ig/s1600/accident+middle+of+the+sea.jpg

Recently, the crew of the Maiken was enjoying a leisurely sail through the South Pacific when they spotted a strange discoloration on the water.
They moved in closer to inspect it, but by the time they realized what it was, it was too late. The crew of the Maiken was sailing the South Pacific when they spotted an unusual shadow.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzfzH1S4VJX5hCodDglpznOv6KEA_vVVEpbPMQ4_XIUqmVoI65Mm4XItnUuNn37uByU82I6L4A5nb6BnfwzPVSBCZH6jVNXDPlBskb09enGIFCQf0A5rTyKR-TkWSQT-Z3Jl56Ae3K18/s1600/1.jpg

 As they got closer, what they had taken to be a sandbar revealed itself to be something else entirely.

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi11lUBGvsgvojm-b0NrgLop61hmpoF-Djn86Qm6D2_U0iKY5vl5GCkMsHkrFdQoIRvXjyG38hKmLVfFmxP_kFTtmo7zWN1XpqwFKQRCzXdMPgHSjB6IYnoOvvM9hZqfB-zxjp49ccLXA/s1600/2.jpg

A huge amount of pumice stone was floating to the surface of the water. It looked like a beach.

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00Hq5a7QzR1glWd0u47OKDDtQcceV7voB6fRMsl_mFV3EHFtjRFnuYMh8fdmOwi-3Uh3LZEYnj-oeqHVueNB0yJSH328p4-FaPDFP2PNfsW_jJgaZnBG3aqwyUeAqIzQiei42wKEYssw/s1600/3.jpg

 They decided to get a closer look and redirected their yacht towards it.

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQhJcC7NoopXRre5hJvthb0fbN6ouoqpgJdPxh2N440hLAzoJMlYGMP-yASwLWayuQbsTSOujgueS1X_zL7DBqvrHRRMB73nJroSHTDQG1BAHnsBn0gReY-lmECNUQUZSD2OzhIx7hmU/s1600/4.jpg

 It looks like a beach in the middle of the ocean!

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0BvNUHPB-BY39iIh8e_NsIRv5TLJ-FCwInM1UJggP_HjAXtI8dxjzBPLP5WmzCoryAY15dnikTk_bnV515cO_S7hp3m-ip5twC7AxOoniu_eUXTksNtFVLMfsP-fBCK6Q7EMIo6CMkc/s1600/5.jpg

The crew decided to sail through it, leaving a break in the stone behind them as they went.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e_fqjXa7-z1hy3F0PXzOERaFwEHBYfEpzGYvGIHUGOpqi-mLgbyuxSO4o8rcIj5hWh8osPAXgFvwrp_SsqklQR9pBCL4Eze9sj3p3aXXHi2Nj9B1n-bc163_bDHhCmWG5kvdPtQS7uw/s1600/6.jpg

They wondered what could have caused this expanse of stone to suddenly appear.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbkDD_YNS6yJkj1a_cYg9mHMSXvD5PO_g4ER-0YTa4YZKdOMUPvVNF_sAPIdwTff5sJiVHmV-esku9h_Z_e9DOpUmvAFasWh_UWIZa_sczap2Kk_440bSknDg1z5lkJVu30U8eENKy7I/s1600/7.jpg

The field of pumice was getting even larger as they passed through it. The crew had an uneasy feeling and upped their speed.


 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjLQgovIkaYRNfPEKljWo9OP9HWXmxjVrRXr1DAGINTk1lsrKXF26KXSmBV2TKIzw0f2GaHvSkJC89zcBnJ3UoZPg4JWbw8YvJvqlyDPMWXyDcb2FxfO1w7UJk2ebddvA-Hy5Bt9F-GI/s1600/8.jpg
  
Once they were a safe distance away, they heard a faint rumbling. Looking back they saw water bubbling from the surface.

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE-FI3giMhDw1Kg8gAaqMpBkZA0ivqvD11GfBQqfuigVU97jphkggEaapoHMhVZAE_Pbf9LWAXdVS9gzy0L1gJ7g4oOQuoU0YJMDcDupvQV4szR3a1Rw7jVYu9QNG0u4E9nCTkerXlco/s1600/9.jpg

The source of the pumice stone was an underwater volcano that was actually erupting at the time!

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFgU82Pmi2XL52yGd9BtC5ZcqWuPibtCzBoccWW9WvL0f-DnCMfWyFS6p2vd-8DzuwyMOEyBHY_kpqDF-XUbMeiAHtimguEhSIbra46rkCjkuwfNz2LvApJ0AKd7MmKFJqmBGFYQP3kY/s1600/10.jpg

They anchored to watch this tremendous event. Massive plumes of smoke filled the sky.

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynfKVxV2cCdanXhImKhHxUtAWw4z_FJZjMiwC7oD5UJhvfgQCwBmWMmKU4ZXOxzjWxXVbFRXHAyYmOmtOlOLxFlWv3VCCYng_FYmX4bmpVWWLtFjeu6ix35qsol1gNMmhnlRQnsGzd3g/s1600/11.jpg

As the smoke cleared, they noticed something strange just at the water’s surface…

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6ISGQF6NbhlcxL4o8bymZA29_8SJ1rdQpeDtuH2zfnDuhaEd40h2n8zPcOeYElLmf0f8f29wjePgCm9t583zXdnkjLE6KFwoZ6JEcveyfCIFOUbKodihcqnJw3YtLe4OWg7pgVVFfQ8/s1600/12.jpg

 It was land!

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkL3-djEZPRsqmEY3QFlBi1RGcH-IsZ8pRsl7zIcbIFdY0ueU6LveKFWAXMN89NcbDJ1dOMYH0UKcbRH7Jyef5qfKCYlHpNkTlQ2Mdl7O0yA-cYWqJkUwRJJROPQDV2xfbYL3OYUMEBM/s1600/13.jpg

The stunned crew couldn’t believe what they were seeing: It was the actual birth of a new island.

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6y3pMsFZdjgT8ZpR6t8zYYZ63pLX68ll8DonpvaCwML9t1vM_3gosF7C6wTA19xcKnINkbIIkcnzWjIjtR9DuNLepwLgA6mmnwlKMwNyIY-PMVGI9Qi2L_3o62ck5siOJUwIk7Ra9_M/s1600/14.jpg
  
They sailed a little bit closer to see if their eyes were playing tricks on them.

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVjuY2w0-qHZQzhiHG3YktD00BKOsKDe4If91arw8jsAn0S7PMXIrSiVBzcRfbri0M3_kwRYox14SqctJ1-Vd2dttq0zav9WV4OyN3Cl3GnFqSWudwV0MlMip2vjQoa873xKNlAIPzL8/s1600/15.jpg

 But it was real. The peaks of this new land mass were already taking form.

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVfwzfFZ0bNNaVjD94xWCfqhR1tt-ulPrq1NWIkX1xkZYhtUwXYLfn7Rr_nsLs5fUiiQfi0U02rIzgo_l0vOs3Tyqr0uPiASHx1d8HboU-iw84vT_hxcIbJjH5b-7lEVNPtuTZzXBTr4/s1600/16.jpg

It was one of the rarest events imaginable.   They were so lucky! Not only because they were able to witness such an impossible sight… but also because they apparently very narrowly escaped with their lives!

No comments: