April 2009 Archives

The Galapagos National Park has confirmed that La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina Island has erupted.

The eruption began approximately 500 meters from the edge of the crater on the southwest slope of the volcano, near Cape Hammond. The eruption has created a fissure 200 meters long and 10 meters wide, and is throwing lava up to 15 meters into the air.

An enormous column of smoke is visible from great distance. It has been determined that the lava flow is running southwest to the ocean. The eruption is centered near the site of a 2005 eruption of the same volcano.

The wind is blowing the smoke and the gases produced by this natural event toward the southwest. The eruption does not pose any risk to the populated zones of nearby Isabela Island.

Given that the lava is flowing to the sea, it's likely that a number of marine species including iguanas and sea lions will be affected by the event.

Volcanic eruptions in Galapagos are natural events. The GNP will evaluate the magnitude of the event and monitor and document the changes that take place in the ecosystem.

The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) can continue its work to save the rare and endemic mangrove finch, thanks to an award of more than £150,000 (around 220,000 dollars) from the Darwin Initiative, a British government-funded organisation, which funds the protection of biological diversity. The project will continue to be led by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, and is expected to fund two more years of a three year old project.

Since 2006, visiting experts from Durrell have collaborated with CDF scientists doing baseline studies and conservation work with the mangrove finch, once found throughout the coasts of Isabela and Fernandina islands but now limited to about 50 breeding pairs in two tiny patches of mangrove in northwest Isabela.

"We found that [introduced] black rats were a major problem for the finches," said CDF Senior Scientist, Brigit Fessl, who added that the rats prey on eggs and nestlings in large numbers. The team introduced an improved system of rat controls in the finch's range, and has seen significant declines in rat populations in the controlled areas.

Even better, these declines have been matched by improved survival of mangrove finch fledglings. This January, for the first time since the start of the project, year-old finches were observed in stands of mangrove between the two home patches. The CDF team believes that these yearlings have been forced to find new territory due to increasing population densities in their natal mangroves.

Metropolitan Touring Ecuador is sponsoring GCT's Tortoise Club for Schools. The Tortoise Club for Schools is aimed at raising awareness among children about conservation in general, but in particular using the Galapagos Islands' giant tortoises. For example, by sponsoring a Galapagos giant tortoise egg and the resulting hatchling.

Metropolitan Touring
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Metropolitan Touring, founded in 1953, is the leading Travel Corporation in Latin America with its own ship-based expeditions in the Galápagos Islands and ground-handling operations in Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina. Metropolitan Touring pioneered responsible tourism and expedition voyages to the Galapagos Islands and are the leaders in the operation of exciting, innovative and imaginative tours and excursions in continental Ecuador. Our dedication to quality, excellence in travel safety, commitment to earthly environments, and local cultures is unparalleled in the discovery business.

Since a forest fire struck Saturday 21 March morning on Isabela Island the Galapagos National Park( GNG), Navy of Ecuador, National Police, and other institutions have been working to quell the blaze. Finally, yesterday, Thursday morning, the fire became under control.

The fire lasted for 5 days, burning approximately 87 hectares. The area continues to be monitored so the fire does not return.

Previously the fire, which was burning in the agricultural zone in the Cerro Verde area of Santo Tomás, in the highlands above Puerto Villamil, in southeastern Isabela, became out of control according to reports from Galapagos. Reports said the fire was not affecting endemic species. No human life was reported threatened. A team of 33 national park rangers had been working since last Saturday to try to control the fire, but the strong winds of the zone and the dry vegetation have made the situation worse.

La Dirección Regional de Espacios Acuáticos Insulares is part of the plan to control the fire and they had sent a boat with 35 persons and materials as a contingency, from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno to Puerto Villamil.

The fire-fighting team deployed to combat the blaze includes eight park rangers, six police, six members of the Navy, two members of Firemen's Corp, and a member of the Civil Defence, in addition to two backhoes and a tanker truck.

Among the team's first actions was the construction of an eight-meter fire-break to halt the spread of the blaze.

The Galapagos National Park Service, in coordination with the Ministries of Government, Environment, and Defense, brought in additional heavy machinery to try to extinguish the fire.

Reports last Wednesday stated the fire did not represent any danger for Galapagos species. The Cazuela area, some seven kilometers distant, was the nearest site to the conflagration with a population of giant tortoises, but was not considered at risk because prevailing winds were blowing in the opposite direction.