Yacht La Pinta reported overnight of a spectacular volcanic eruption taking place on Galápagos Islands’ Isabela
Yacht La Pinta spotted a volcanic eruption taking place on Wolf Volcano, Isabela Island. The eruption is taking place in an uninhabited area of the archipelago.
During the regular itinerary of La Pinta (Western Islands May 22-29, 2015), and while sailing from Tagus Cove, Isabela Island to Rábida Island, Yacht La Pinta spotted the eruption on the eastern flanks of Isabela Island quite close to a small area called Cape Marshall.
This was during a clear, moonless night, while the air temperature held steady at 25C and that of the ocean at 24C clear night. Winds coming from the southeast at 2 knots. Yacht La Pinta at the time was at Latitude 00° 1´ SOUTH, Longitude 091° 12´ WEST, thus, just few miles south of the Equator. Thunder and lightning was observed near the area.
Our Expedition Staff reported the event to the Galápagos National Park Service, Charles Darwin research Station, as well as the Smithsonian’s Institution Global Volcanism Program in Washington, DC. The original report and pictures have arrived from our Expedition Leader, Gabriel Salazar, on board Yacht La Pinta.
Wolf Volcano is located at the northeast end of Isabela Island (Albemarle, its former English name) and it is the highest elevation in the Galápagos Islands at 1,700m (5,600 feet). This is the eleventh eruption recorded for the volcano since 1797.
The 1982 eruption was particularly spectacular as fountains of lava emerging from radial fissures rose above the caldera rim and slopped down the sides of this large shield volcano. Wolf Volcano is also the location where not too long ago, pink land iguanas were formally researched and described as a new species. Volcanic eruptions are normal in the Galápagos Islands, and Wolf Volcano lies right above the Galápagos Hot Spot.
The Hot Spot is the source of molten rock (magma) for the various volcanos found in the western side of the archipelago. This area holds eruptions every 6-7 years.
A volcanic eruption is the fabric for natural selection processes, and as these events occur in the Galápagos Islands, we will adjust our itineraries in order for our guests to witness one of the most dramatic and certainly unique events that these islands can naturally offer.
We will inform you on how these adjustments will apply to each one of our vessels. Best times for observing eruptions are right after sunset, throughout the night, and hours before sunrise. The eruption area has no visitor sites, and thus there is no risk whatsoever related to the safety of our guests, nor our fleet. Our Expedition Staff will be carefully monitoring this unique volcanic event and more details will become readily available, once additional data is documented.
Currently, we have no knowledge if any fauna and flora species have been reached by the direct or indirect effects of the eruption itself. We will wait for technical assessment of the area, provided by research scientists and additional monitoring teams. The Galápagos National Park has announced plans for an overflight of the area today.
Yacht La Pinta has remained in the nearby area for this morning program (Rábida Island) and will navigate few miles later in the day for its Cerro Dragón visit. We will report exploration plans for the evening hours in order to sail back to Isabela Island and again witness the eruption at an earlier evening hour.
Meanwhile, Yacht Isabela II, as well as Santa Cruz vessel, remain in the southern and eastern side of the archipelago, and will wait for any eruption news to adjust their itineraries in order to explore the area.
