India’s only live volcano which had started showing activity in 1991 after lying dormant for over 150 years has again started spewing ash, the researchers at Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) have said. “The only live volcano in the Andaman and Nicobar islands is erupting once again. The Barren Island volcano, located 140-km north-east of Port Blair, dormant for more than 150 years started erupting in 1991 and has since then shown intermittent activity,” NIO said in a statement in Panaji.A team of scientists led by AbhayMudholkar, from CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) in Goa reported that the volcano is active and spewing smoke and lava once again.“On the afternoon of January 23, 2017, the scientific team on board CSIR-NIO’s research ship RV SindhuSankalp was busy collecting sea floor samples in the Andaman Basin near the Barren volcano when it suddenly started spewing ash,” the NIO has said.“The team moved about one mile from the volcano and began closely observing it. It was erupting in small episodes lasting about five to ten minutes,” said the release.During the daytime only ash clouds were observed. However, after sundown, the team observed red lava fountains spewing from the crater into the atmosphere and hot lava flows streaming down the slopes of the volcano, it said. NIO has said the volcano was revisited in the early hours of January 26, 2017 again during the second leg of the cruise led by B NagenderNath, adding the team witnessed the continuation of spurts of blasts and smoke.“They have sampled the sediments and water in the vicinity of the volcano and recovered coal-like black pyroclastic material representing proximal volcanic ejecta. Clouds were seen at the crater mouth where the smoke was bellowing out in otherwise clear sky,” These samples will help in deciphering the nature of the present and past volcanic activity in the region.Researchers from CSIR-NIO have been studying the past volcanic events in Andaman Basin-based on the ash layers in a sediment column.

As you are already aware by now, the Andaman is a Paradise for the true travelers and adventure seekers. It has something to offer for every kind of traveler, for instance monuments for historians, beaches for the peace seeking tourists, water sports and forest hikes for the adventurists, shacks for food enthusiasts and great scenic views for the nature lovers. It is an excellent place offering diverse tourist destinations across 572 islands within a single union territory.

Among many of its beautiful islands is also located the Cinque Island, which is divided into two parts Northern Cinque and Southern Cinque. It is a part of the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park located within the Wandoor Islandarea along with 15 more islets belonging to the Labyrinthine Island. The island is situated at a distance of around 26 kilometers from the capital city ofPort Blair and can be accessed via chartered boats and launches, much like the other islands in theAndaman and Nicobar Group of Islands. To visit the Cinque Island one needs to take permission from the Forest Department of the region but night stays are usually not granted here.TheCinque Islandcould be regarded as one of the most spectacular islands across the whole of Andaman and has several unique things associated with it. Some of the most spectacular things that make it a desirable tourist spot are mentioned.

One recreational activity not to miss during your visit to the Andaman Island is Bird Watching. This is a popular leisure activity amongst the wildlife lovers where you can watch the silent drama in their natural environment. The Islands of Andaman has a vast collection of exotic birds with over 270 species flocking around the island. The island houses diverse species of migratory birds including birds that belong to the region. If you get lucky while birding, you may come across rare birds like Purple Moorhen, Lesser Whistling Teal, Cotton Teal, Common Moorhen, Andaman drango, Medium Egrets, blacked napped oriole, Glossy staling, Scarlet Minivets, Andaman bulbuls etc.

There are few places to sightsee birds in Andaman and to make an excellent early morning calls you have to visit the popular wildlife reserves for birding holidays. Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been major attractions for bird watching and ornithologists because of its rich, unique and endemic biodiversity. It is a birding paradise with around 270 species of which 39 are endemic, the State Bird of the Andaman is the Andaman Wood Pigeon.