Scientists have again documented sharks swimming inside the active crater of Kavachi Volcano in the Western Province, a discovery that continues to intrigue researchers around the world.
Recent observations confirm that hammerhead and silky sharks are moving through the volcano’s super-heated, acidic and highly unstable waters — an environment considered dangerous due to sudden eruptions and heavy volcanic particles.
This unusual phenomenon is not new. Earlier surveys by the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a National Geographic-supported expedition in 2015 also recorded sharks and other fish species inside the crater.
According to National Geographic Explorer their presence suggests the animals are not immune to extreme volcanic conditions but are capable of navigating pockets of water that remain within survivable temperature and chemical ranges between eruptive bursts.
Scientists say the behaviour of these sharks raises important questions about how marine life adapts to hostile environments.
Ongoing research is exploring whether these species have developed special immune responses, heightened heat tolerance or altered sensory behaviours that allow them to exploit such dangerous habitats.
Experts say the findings could also help inform broader scientific studies on how life survives in fluctuating, high-stress environments — knowledge that may one day contribute to understanding habitability in extreme conditions elsewhere in the world and even beyond Earth.
The Kavachi Volcano, located south of Vangunu Island, Marovo Lagoon in the Western Province, remains one of the Pacific’s most active submarine volcanoes and continues to draw global attention for the remarkable marine life found within its fiery crater.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star Gizo
