The impact of volcanic emissions is a significant source of uncertainty in estimations of aerosol indirect radiative forcing, especially with respect to emissions from passive degassing and minor explosions. Understanding the impact of volcanic emissions on indirect radiative forcing is important for assessing present day atmospheric properties and also to define the pre-industrial baseline to assess anthropogenic perturbations. We present observations of the time-averaged indirect aerosol effect within 200 km downwind of isolated island volcanoes in regions of low present-day aerosol burden using MODIS and AATSR data. Retrievals of aerosol and cloud properties at Kīlauea (Hawai'i), Yasur (Vanuatu) and Piton de la Fournaise (Réunion) are rotated about the volcanic vent according to wind direction, so that retrievals downwind of the volcano can be averaged to improve signal to noise ratio. The emissions from all three volcanoes, including those from passive degassing, strombolian activity and minor explosions lead to measurably increased aerosol optical depth downwind of the active vent. Average cloud droplet effective radius is lower downwind of the volcano in all cases, with the peak difference in effective radius of 4-8 μm at the different volcanoes. A comparison of these observations with cloud properties at isolated islands with no significant source of aerosol suggests that these patterns are not purely orographic in origin. This approach sets out a first step for the systematic measurement of the effects of present day low altitude volcanic emissions on cloud properties. Our observations of unpolluted, isolated marine settings may also capture processes similar to those in the pre-industrial marine atmosphere.