As quickly as people rushed to La Palma to witness the volcano, they have been fighting to get off the island as the suspension of flights at La Palma airport has left them unable to leave. Ferry companies increased sailings to try and help them, but hundreds are still there waiting for flights to start again.
As a result of volcanic ash accumulation, the only way of leaving the island has been by ferry, and on Saturday more than 3,000 people left Santa Cruz de La Palma by boat when under normal circumstances it would have only been 350.
Employees of car rental companies said yesterday that they had never seen the terminal like it on a Saturday with people arriving at 7am for the 10am ferry, saying it looked like it was going to burst. Many people came without a ticket and joined long queues to get one from either Armas or Fred Olsen, but in the end they couldn’t leave, which caused anger and frustration among travellers.
Yesterday morning in Santa Cruz de La Palma it felt like it was raining but there was no water, it was heavy ash like tiny pebbles falling from the sky, a reminder that the volcano continues to emanate lava. Many wore umbrellas, hats, raincoats or covered their heads with paper to avoid the 'taps' that the ash gave on the head.
There was also a different situation of "full capacity" for the ferries leaving La Palma. Lockers for suitcases were filled to capacity, which forced passengers to carry their luggage on board the ship. Some people were older and had very large suitcases with all their belongings in that they had to carry as they left their home to stay with family in Tenerife.
Fred Olsen have announced they will increase their service today with three ferries to cater for demand, although Binter are expected to resume flights to other islands from 1pm this afternoon, as people travelling to Gran Canaria have opted to wait as it takes 8 hours on a ferry compared to 50 minutes on a plane.
