‘Forbidden Island’ is the second part of my genesis NFT collection ‘Volcanoes’, a three-part series dedicated to some of Indonesia’s most fascinating natural landmarks.

Pulau Satonda is a volcanic crater island located off the northern tip of Sumbawa and was formed by the eruption of Mt. Satonda 10,000 years ago.

We ventured to Sumbawa in late 2020 to explore the region in the midst of the pandemic. Arranging transport to the island proved near impossible, and after several days of searching, we found our only option - a police speed boat that would collect us from a nearby jetty at 5 am the following morning.

As we set off across the Flores Sea just 12 hours later, we watched the sunrise reveal the contours of the surrounding landscape, including neighbouring Mt. Tambora. It’s said that when Tambora erupted in 1815 (the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history), a colossal wave washed over the edge of Satonda’s crater rim, resulting in the salt-water lake we see today.