Galapagos Islands - Installment #4 - Jan 12, 2006

Caldera at Sierra Negra on Isabela Island

Still smouldering vent where volcano erupted back in October 2005


Pele's Hair

Today was a hiking day - up to the volcano Sierra Negra on Isabela Island that just erupted back in October. Those of us who self-designated as "fast and further" hikers departed first at 7:45 am to arrive on the dock at the southern end of the island where we took taxis up towards the volcano to begin the hike. There were about 15 of us that hiked the seven miles round trip up through the mist and fog to the rim of the caldera - one of the five largest calderas in the world measuring 6 miles by 4 miles. At the rim, we hiked a bit towards the area where the eruptions had taken place. The fumaroles were still emitting gases and the landscape was filled with cooled lava from the eruption. The spew was fine rock formations, light as a feather. We also saw Pele's hair, a glass-like formation as fine as hair that appears soon after volcanic eruptions but doesn't last too long and eventually is blown away by the wind. Seeing it on the rim of the caldera was yet another sign of the newness of the current situation at the volcano.

Giant Tortoise at Charles Darwin Research Station on Isabela Island

Rescued tortoises whose shells were damaged from the volcanic eruptions

The hike itself was very dry and dusty so we came back to the ship to clean up for lunch and then returned to the island in the afternoon to visit the Darwin Research Station where they are successfully raising giant tortoises from Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul in captivity to then reintroduce them into the wild to keep the population thriving. These tortoises are amazing creatures that are reputed to live up to 150 years.

A beautiful walk back to town, a quick swim in the ocean and a beer on the beach, and it was time to head back to the ship for the night.