| Cerro Azul Eruption Continues to Threaten Galapagos Tortoises |
The recent eruption of Cerro Azul volcano in the extreme south of Isla Isabela, the largest island in the Galápagos Archipelago, continues to threaten the local population of giant tortoises. Today (9/30/98), Reuters reported that plans are now being readied to airlift some of the tortoises to safety.
Cerro Azul last erupted in 1979 and has spewed lava at least 9 times in known memory. The latest eruption has produced a fissure on the east southeast side of the mountain from which lava has flowed south and is now only a few kilometers from the ocean. Initially, the main threat to the Cerro Azul tortoises was thought to be the possible inundation of the important San Pedro tortoise nesting site with lava. Giant tortoises are often found at lower elevations in the Cerro Azul area. Now, air sorties are being flown to identify any tortoises that are in the path of the lava flow so that they can be targeted for removal to safety.
The Galápagos archipelago owes its existence to volcanic activity, and without the volcanoes there could be no Galápagos tortoises. But volcanic activity does pose a threat to their continued existence. In the last 50 years, lava flows have eliminated at least one Galápagos tortoise population, that at Isabela's Cartago Bay. Thanks to man's depredation and carelessness, most of the tortoise populations have suffered serious declines in number and have become concentrated in a few remote areas. Given these conditions, even natural events such as a localized lava flow place entire races of Galapagos tortoise at risk for extinction.
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Updates on Cerro Azul activity
Cerro Azul Volcano
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CTTC article with a map of the Galapagos Archipelago
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