Mount Nyiragongo – Mountain Nyiragongo is located inside Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Goma town and Lake Kivu and west of the border with Rwanda.
It is an active stratovolcano with an elevation of 4,470 m (14,764 ft) in the Virunga Mountains, associated with the Albertine Rift.
It is cone-shaped with a crater at the top.
Mountain Nyiragongo has a main crater about 2 kilometers (1 mi) wide, which usually contains a lava lake.
The crater also has two distinct cooled lava benches within the crater walls, one at about 3,175 m (10,417 ft) and the other at about 2,975 m (9,760 ft).
Nyiragongo’s lava lake has been the most voluminous known lava lake in recent history.
It elevated to about 3,250 m (10,660 ft) before the January 1977 eruption, at a lake depth of about 600 m (2,000 ft).
Interestingly, Mountain Nyiragongo last erupted on February 22, 2021.
It lies at an elevation of 3,470 m (11,385 ft) with a prominence of 1,443 m (4,734 ft) and coordinates at 1°31’09″S 29°15’15″E.
Precautions
Mountain Nyiragongo is marked as one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes due to its devastating eruptions that often flow from fissures or cracks surrounding the volcano.
The lava is so fluid that it flows like water.
Animal Types at Mountain Nyiragongo
- Elephants
- Buffaloes
- Leopards
- Duikers
- Antelopes
- Three different primates, including chimpanzees
- Mongooses
- Civets
- Genets
Activities Carried Out
- Mountain gorilla trekking
- Birding
- Visiting Tchegera Island
- Paddleboarding and kayaking
Cost of Touring: Tourists can pay an entry fee of USD 300 for an overnight hike, excluding meals and porters.
By and large, Mountain Nyiragongo is a wild pool of diverse nature that meets the natural curiosity and interests of tourists.
