Whirligig Geyser is located in the heart of the beautifully exotic Porcelain Basin in Norris Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. By being located in such a region, its surroundings are dominated by bright piles of geyserite gravel and large sheets of white siliceous sinter, from which the basin gets its name. Very little vegetation grows here due to the very high surface temperatures and high water acidity. Instead, the area is streaked through by runoff channels, colored orange and green by thermophile bacterial mats and red by iron oxide deposits, contrasted by various thermal features including several milky blue hot springs. Directly next to Whirligig Geyser is another similarly shaped pool, partially seen on the right side center of the above image, that is the location of Constant Geyser, of which a gorgeous eruption is written about extensively in a previous blog post. Also next to Whirligig Geyser is the runoff pan of Constant Geyser, of which The Wild images Team captured this absolutely breathtaking reflection photo that is available for sale in our store. The pool of Whirligig Geyser can be partially seen in each of those images on their left center. Close inspection of each of the photos will reveal very little vegetation in the basin itself; instead it is found only on the safer high ground of the surrounding hills and ridges, where the ground temperature is lower due to the additional insulation of the extra ground underneath and the water is much less acidic as it does not originate out of the thermal features nearly as much. However, there still are thermal features located in certain spots of the surrounding ridges, such as Ledge Geyser, an extremely rare eruption written about extensively from a viewpoint in the ridge in a previous blog post and from a viewpoint in the Porcelain Basin in a previous blog post. That same series of photos also produced this stunning image of Ledge Geyser, also available for sale in our store. One thing to notice in each of these images is the abundance of vegetation nearby, especially in the uphill direction where conditions are much more conducive for growth. Back down in the heart of the Porcelain Basin and its colorful yet barren ground, Whirligig Geyser and Constant Geyser usually appear as nearly identical twin pools, Whirligig Geyser on the left and Constant Geyser on the right. Their behavior leading up to an eruption is much the same as well. Neither of them are predictable, and both will spend years in dormancy. But during the seasons when they are active, each will begin with a pool that slowly fills up after a previous eruption. Their pools will appear calm, but closer observation will show that they pass through cycles of lower water and higher water. During the periods of lower water, some of the textured raised ridges of geyserite in each of the pools will protrude and become visible above the water level. An eruption will never initiate from a low water stage. Eventually the water will raise back up, covering over all of the raised ridges of geyserite and reaching to the noticeable pool edges. This is the high water stage, and significant water flow will be noticed in its runoff channels. An eruption will begin from one of the successive high water stages, but it is unpredictable during which high water stage it will occur. The only way to ensure seeing an eruption is to patiently wait as each passes through many cycles. Fortunately, each of these geysers have frequent eruptions during the seasons when they are active. It can be as short as 20 to 30 minutes until the next eruption, but it can also be up to 2 hours or more with no real observable explanation. In the seasons where both geysers are active, it is possible that either one will erupt, doubling the chances of witnessing an eruption. In the above image of Whirligig Geyser, The Wild Images Team waited until the very low setting sun created a deep red light over the landscape, highlighting the nearby iron oxide deposits on the side of the pool, while also drawing out the very dark red colors from the pool bottom, which are noticeable as the red colors in the water waves encircling the eruption. Whirligig Geyser is named after the swirling effect created in its pool during an eruption, making it a distinctive geyser that is enjoyable to watch. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Yellowstone National Park including a Beehive Geyser eruption with a massive rainbow, the world famous Old Faithful Geyser with water textures, a towering Grand Geyser pause burst eruption, a sunset Castle Geyser eruption with a bright rainbow, an afternoon Riverside Geyser eruption with a rainbow, an early morning Lion Geyser eruption with a rainbow, a very difficult to catch Oblong Geyser blue burst eruption, the extremely powerful Artemisia Geyser eruption with deep bursts, the very moment of waves from a Great Fountain Geyser initial eruption, an iconic White Dome Geyser eruption at sunset, the large bursts of a Fountain Geyser eruption in steam, the delicate red light on a Grotto Fountain Geyser eruption at sunset, the defining moment of a Rocket Geyser eruption at sunset, the extremely brief Aurum Geyser eruption with colors, a view through a Cliff Geyser eruption of Black Sand Basin, the colorful patterns of bacterial mats in Midway Geyser Basin, the changing conditions that cause a rainbow to parallel the Snow Lodge, the Biscuit Basin duo of Black Diamond Pool and Opal Pool, the colorfully pock marked waterways of the erupting Blood Geyser, the active steppes of the Mineral Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, the distant double rainbow over the Lewis River Canyon, the before eruption reflections of sunset over the terraces of Great Fountain Geyser, the deep colors of sky reflections over Beauty Pool, the thermally induced sunset light filters through the steamy trees, the intense moment of mammatus clouds over the Firehole River, the very early morning fog surrounding Lower Yellowstone Falls, the runoff created reflections over the colorful runoff pan of Constant Geyser, the unworldly terrain of the extensive Porcelain Geyser Basin in Norris, the deeply hued steam over colorful bacterial mat reflections of Grand Prismatic Spring, the contrast of runoff channels surrounding the blue superheated water of Sapphire Pool, differing wave patterns created by the colorful submerged Fishing Cone Geyser, the strong green created by the record depths of mysterious Abyss Pool, the moment the full moon rises over the Grant Village Lakehouse, the cloud symmetry of a sunset reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, and moments earlier with a cloud shelf reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Yellowstone National Park have documented the Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, the steamy Oblong Geyser eruptions, the deep drain Uncertain Geyser eruptions, the steep crater Depression Geyser eruptions, the amphitheater Grand Geyser eruptions, the impressive Fan and Mortar Geyser eruptions, the very quick Aurum Geyser eruptions, the rooster tail Whirligig Geyser eruptions, the series type Lion Geyser eruptions, the tall grotto White Dome Geyser eruptions, the frequent Sawmill Geyser eruptions, the double cone Atomizer Geyser eruptions, the nozzled Beehive Geyser eruptions, the cratered Fountain Geyser eruptions, the deep pool Artemisia Geyser eruptions, the playful Vixen Geyser eruptions, the scenic Riverside Geyser eruptions, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from above, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from below, the gurgling Tilt’s Baby Geyser eruptions, the bursts of Great Fountain Geyser eruptions, the hidden Dome Geyser eruptions, the tilted Daisy Geyser eruptions, the remote Pink Cone Geyser eruptions, the long Castle Geyser eruption water phases, the loud Castle Geyser eruption steam phases, the stark Constant Geyser eruptions, the rim wall Cliff Geyser eruptions, the initiation from Grotto Fountain Geyser eruptions, the continuation of Grotto Geyser eruptions, the defining moment of Rocket Geyser eruptions, the marathon Spa Geyser eruptions, the blue waters of a Spouter Geyser eruption, the isolated Artist Paint Pots throwing mud, the little seen intricate burst of a mud volcano, a view of a dozen visitors under a Beehive Geyser rainbow, the eruption through numerous vents of Fan and Mortar Geysers, the enormous amount of water through the runoff channels of Excelsior Geyser, the otherworldly view of cloudy blue runoff pools in the Porcelain Basin, the moment that a large bison bull rolled in his claimed dirt pile, the rule for the right of way wildlife, the high altitudes where a large raven that perches over the Dunraven Pass, the the day that a phoenix streaked across the backcountry sky, the trail from Grant Village that crosses over this suspended bridge, The Wild Images Team in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, our Photographer Jeremy Robinson shadowed in Morning Glory Pool, and The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the Yellowstone National Park entrance sign.
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