Underwater volcano creates a brand new Canary Island

From Travel.aol.co.uk: Underwater volcano creates a brand new Canary Island

An underwater volcano near the Canary Islands has been releasing so much lava that it could protrude so far above the Atlantic Ocean it creates a brand new island.

It has been growing steadily over the last three weeks, and is already 100 metres above sea level. Another 150 metres would see it becoming the Canary Island's first new holiday hotspot for over a million years.

The volcano is situated off the coast of El Hierro, the most southern Canary Island, and is causing the ground to shake several times a day.

Experts say it currently only poses a risk to the immediate area around it, but a submarine taking pictures of the ocean floor is monitoring the situation.

However, a cloud of ash bigger than El Hierro itself is floating off the island, and schools of dead fish have been spotted on the sea surface.

Although it sounds scary, fresh magma flow is responsible for creating the archipelago, and is also a huge factor in protecting the Canaries from coastal erosion.

The Canary Island's local residents are already mulling over names for the potential new island, with some including The Discovery, Atlantis and The Best, according to the report in the Daily Mail.

The Canary Islands, located 100km northwest of the Africa's mainland, are a major tourist attraction.

Over 12 million holidaymakers flock to the islands every year to enjoy the subtropical climate, beaches and natural attractions, like the Teide National Park and Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain and the third tallest volcano in the world.