In 2019, a volcano off the coast of New Zealand erupted while dozens of tourists and tour guides were on the island. White Island – also known by its Māori name Whakaari – is an active stratovolcano situated 30 miles from the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island.
It is also New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, having continually erupted from December 1975 until September 2000, with eruptions also recorded in 2012 and 2016. Despite this, the roughly 800-acre island was a popular tourist destination, with access granted to several designated tour operators.
But it is a deadly eruption three years ago which has been recalled in new Netflix documentary, The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari. Directed by Rory Kennedy, the feature length documentary recounts the eruption itself and its aftermath, and hears from survivors and those involved in the rescue operation.
