Galapagos Islands Adventure 2009 – Part 6

Sombrero Chino, aka Chinese Hat, also resembles the Pizza Hut logo and many of the local guides call it that. The island is made up of volcanic tuff–consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption.

The island appears barren from even a close distance. Lava Cactus and sesuvium are the main color additions.

The darker lava in the image above is from an eruption on the nearby island of Santiago over 100 years ago.

The Santiago eruption deposited pohoehoe lava — smooth, dark and ropy, it flowed slow and thick from the eruption.

Large pieces of coral have yet to be worn down into sand, and covers much of the lava around the edges of the island.

Penguins nest on nearby Santiago, but frequent the cold waters around Sombrero Chino to feed.

Like other Galapagos wildlife, they rarely seem annoyed by tourists.

Sally Lightfoot Crabs are everywhere and offer many photographic opportunities.

The Lava Heron, currently lumped with the much lighter Striated Heron also found on the islands, eats small crabs. The larger Sally Lightfoots do not seem concerned…