Espanola Island
We have great news for you all! There is an incredible and exciting event happening in the Galápagos Islands at this very moment. We have a volcanic Eruption at the southern flank of Sierra Negra Volcano, Isabela Island and we just witnessed during our very first outing! Can you imagine how exciting that is?
Yesterday, late in the afternoon, we were returning from our Zodiac ride along Venice Islets when we saw a huge column of smoke coming out from Isabela Island. My heart started to beat faster and I knew deep inside that something incredible was about to happen. I had never seen a volcanic eruption before in my life, and that was about to change! Later on, we located the source of the lava, it was Sierra Negra volcano erupting. This volcano is one of six that are part of this very large island and it is located in the southern most part of Isabela. Sierra Negra happens to be also one the largest calderas in the world (7 x 10 Km) and it is one of the most active volcanoes in the archipelago. After sunset, the show was fascinating so we decided to move the Polaris to a much closer location. After dinner, we were only 3 miles away from the coastline and eleven miles form the eruption itself. What a thrill! The darkness of the night enhanced the beauty of the fiery reds and oranges that were seen at the top of the caldera. We spent several hours enjoying this rare and fantastic event. Rivers of lava were running down the slopes of the volcano and enormous flames were lightning up the sky. The clouds at the horizon had a hard-to-describe magical coloration that gave a dramatic touch to the whole event. Well, enough of yesterday’s stuff, I am excited!
Today, we woke up in high spirits after such an unusual and exciting night (I can’t stop talking about yesterday, can I?) We visited an island famous for its abundant and approachable wildlife called Espanola.
The true stars of the day were the stunning-looking waved albatrosses. Some of them were practicing their courtship dance and that is very late in the season, so we consider ourselves very lucky to observe this behavior.
The Galápagos sea lions were basking on the whitest sand you can ever imagine and a great snorkeling was a nice addition to an already fantastic day.
We often referred to the Galápagos Islands as one of the ultimate paradises on Earth. The last 24 hours have proved this statement to be absolutely true, since it has rouse feelings and memories that will be kept in our minds and hearts forever.
We have great news for you all! There is an incredible and exciting event happening in the Galápagos Islands at this very moment. We have a volcanic Eruption at the southern flank of Sierra Negra Volcano, Isabela Island and we just witnessed during our very first outing! Can you imagine how exciting that is?
Yesterday, late in the afternoon, we were returning from our Zodiac ride along Venice Islets when we saw a huge column of smoke coming out from Isabela Island. My heart started to beat faster and I knew deep inside that something incredible was about to happen. I had never seen a volcanic eruption before in my life, and that was about to change! Later on, we located the source of the lava, it was Sierra Negra volcano erupting. This volcano is one of six that are part of this very large island and it is located in the southern most part of Isabela. Sierra Negra happens to be also one the largest calderas in the world (7 x 10 Km) and it is one of the most active volcanoes in the archipelago. After sunset, the show was fascinating so we decided to move the Polaris to a much closer location. After dinner, we were only 3 miles away from the coastline and eleven miles form the eruption itself. What a thrill! The darkness of the night enhanced the beauty of the fiery reds and oranges that were seen at the top of the caldera. We spent several hours enjoying this rare and fantastic event. Rivers of lava were running down the slopes of the volcano and enormous flames were lightning up the sky. The clouds at the horizon had a hard-to-describe magical coloration that gave a dramatic touch to the whole event. Well, enough of yesterday’s stuff, I am excited!
Today, we woke up in high spirits after such an unusual and exciting night (I can’t stop talking about yesterday, can I?) We visited an island famous for its abundant and approachable wildlife called Espanola.
The true stars of the day were the stunning-looking waved albatrosses. Some of them were practicing their courtship dance and that is very late in the season, so we consider ourselves very lucky to observe this behavior.
The Galápagos sea lions were basking on the whitest sand you can ever imagine and a great snorkeling was a nice addition to an already fantastic day.
We often referred to the Galápagos Islands as one of the ultimate paradises on Earth. The last 24 hours have proved this statement to be absolutely true, since it has rouse feelings and memories that will be kept in our minds and hearts forever.
