Kick `Em Jenny Yachting Information
This page contains useful information for persons planning to take sea vessels in the vicinity of Kick ’em Jenny. Map 1 is part of a widely-used yachting chart of the southern Grenadines produced by Nautical Publications GmbH. Depths are in metres. Kick ’em Jenny is located within the depth contour marked on this map as “submerged volcano”. Note that although the location of the volcano is marked correctly the depth is incorrect. This map reports the depth as “12 metres rep. 1997”. The source of the depth information for Kick ’em Jenny is an unidentified pleasure craft which almost certainly misidentified the shoal to the southwest of the Sisters rocks as Kick ’em Jenny.
Sharp-eyed visitors will notice also that there is a note on the map close to Levera Pond in northeastern Grenada which says “Volcanic Activity reported 1996”. The volcanic activity was a fish kill in Levera Pond. There have been other fish kills in volcanic lakes in the Lesser Antilles in recent years most recently in the Freshwater Lake in Dominica in 2001. These fish kills may be related to variations in fumarolic (steam vent) activity.
Map 1. Yachting chart showing the location of Kick ’em Jenny. The volcano is within the depth contour marked “submerged volcano.”
Exclusion Zones
The two most critical hazards regarding Kick ’em Jenny are the potential threats to shipping and the hazards posed by tsunamis. Currently, the threat to the shipping industry is the more immediate concern. Although the most obvious hazards are those directly resulting from an eruption, the volcano may also be dangerous to shipping during ‘quiet’ periods.
During an eruption, water near the volcano may become rough and the rapid ejection of hot rocks and ash can damage ships nearby. However, during quiet periods between obvious eruptions, it is extremely likely that considerable amounts of volcanic gas escapes from Kick ’em Jenny. If these bubbles become concentrated and the water density drops, any boat entering into the area will experience a loss of bouyancy and may even sink. This possibility of lowered water density above the volcano is an ever-present hidden hazard.
For this reason scientists at the Seismic Research Unit, in collaboration with the government of Grenada, have instituted a 1.5km exclusion zone around the summit of the volcano (see Map 2).
Map 2. Exclusion Zones at Kick ’em Jenny. The volcano is located at 12.18 degrees North and 61.38 degrees West. The first exclusion zone (1.5km) is always in effect. The second exclusion zone is usually enforced during an eruption (5km).
Rules of Thumb
First exclusion zone: Stay 4km west of the Sisters, or within 1km west of the Sisters.
Second exclusion zone: Stay 10km west of Isle de Ronde
