Even as lava fountains from the erupting Kilauea Volcano continue reaching heights of up to 30 feet, Hawaii tourism officials urged visitors to be respectful when flocking to Hawaii island to get a glimpse of one of the world’s most active volcanoes.

As of Sunday the heights of lava fountains have decreased since the latest eruption began Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey website. Still, flowing lava covers much of the western side of the volcano’s Halemaumau Crater, forming a broad horseshoe shape around a central uplifted area that features a lava lake fed by a vent on its northeast corner, the USGS said.

“Minor fountains remain active on the southwestern Halema‘uma‘u crater floor and the vent on the southwest wall of the caldera continues to feed lava onto the westernmost part of the crater floor,” the website said.

This recent eruption at Kilauea, Hawaii’s second-­largest volcano, began after a three-month pause.

The U.S.G.S. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Thursday lowered Kilauea’s alert level from warning to watch because the rate of lava input declined and no infrastructure is threatened. The eruption activity is confined to the closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

“Out of respect for the cultural and spiritual significance of a volcanic eruption and the crater area for many kama‘aina, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority urges mindfulness when planning a visit to the volcano,” the agency said Wednesday night in a statement.

For many Native Hawaiians an volcanic eruption has a deep yet very personal cultural significance. Some might chant, some might pray to ancestors and some might honor the moment with hula. Native Hawaiians ask that people keep a respectful distance.

“Don’t just get out your camera and take photos. Stop and be still and take it in,” said Cyrus Johnasen, a spokesperson for Hawaii County who is Native Hawaiian. “It’s something that you can’t pay for. In that moment, you are one with Hawaii.”

In recognizing the sacredness of the area, he also urged visitors not to take rocks, to refrain from horseplay and to leave plants alone.

“A lot of plants up there are native,” he said. “Just be mindful that you will leave a footprint. The idea is you leave one that’s small as possible.”

Word of Kilauea’s lava fountains spread quickly, bringing crowds to the park. “Expect major delays and limited parking due to high visitation,” said a warning on the park’s website Thursday.

There was no exact count available, but officials estimated the first day and night of the eruption brought more than 10,000 people, which is more than triple the number of visitors on a normal day when Kilauea isn’t erupting, park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane said.

Several thousand viewers were watching the USGS’s livestream showing red pockets of moving lava Thursday morning.

“We were on social media, and we saw that it was actually going off while we’re here, so we made the drive from the Kona side,” Andrew Choi, visiting with his family from Orange County, Calif., told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. “This feels so ridiculously lucky. We’ve never seen anything like this.”

Park officials suggested visiting at less crowded times before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m.

Scientists expect the eruption to continue and remain confined to Halemaumau Crater in the park.

Early Wednesday, lava fountains were as high as 200 feet and decreased to 13 to 30 feet in the afternoon, according to the observatory.

“People here on Hawaii island are getting a spectacular show,” Mayor Mitch Roth said. “And it’s happening in a safe place that was built for people to come view it.”