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  • San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. In 2008 the city was designated as the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations. The elevation of the city's central square (Plaza de La Independencia or Plaza Grande) is 2850 meters (9350 feet), making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz, Bolivia). The central square of Quito is located about 25 km (15 miles) south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km (0.6 miles) of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word ecuador is Spanish for equator.
    09ECU-1130_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. In 2008 the city was designated as the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations. The elevation of the city's central square (Plaza de La Independencia or Plaza Grande) is 2850 meters (9350 feet), making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz, Bolivia). The central square of Quito is located about 25 km (15 miles) south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km (0.6 miles) of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word ecuador is Spanish for equator.
    09ECU-1282_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • Cactus flower, Quito, Ecuador. The Museo de sitio Inti-ñan is a museum at the true equator as calculated by GPS receivers in 1995. (Inti-ñan is "Pathway of the sun" in Kichwa, or Quichua language.) The outdoor museum offers guided tours with fun, silly experiments performed on and off of the equator (such as draining a sink, balancing an egg, and a test of strength, all of which are actually unaffected by the equator), and a glimpse into indigenous life with blow darts, shrunken heads and a native house.
    09ECU-1221_Ecuador.jpg
  • Adult llama, Quito, Ecuador. The Museo de sitio Inti-ñan is a museum at the true equator as calculated by GPS receivers in 1995. (Inti-ñan is "Pathway of the sun" in Kichwa, or Quichua language.) The outdoor museum offers guided tours with fun, silly experiments performed on and off of the equator (such as draining a sink, balancing an egg, and a test of strength, all of which are actually unaffected by the equator), and a glimpse into indigenous life with blow darts, shrunken heads and a native house.
    09ECU-1220_Ecuador.jpg
  • Baby llama, Quito, Ecuador. The Museo de sitio Inti-ñan is a museum at the true equator as calculated by GPS receivers in 1995. (Inti-ñan is "Pathway of the sun" in Kichwa, or Quichua language.) The outdoor museum offers guided tours with fun, silly experiments performed on and off of the equator (such as draining a sink, balancing an egg, and a test of strength, all of which are actually unaffected by the equator), and a glimpse into indigenous life with blow darts, shrunken heads and a native house.
    09ECU-1218_Ecuador.jpg
  • Jet window view over Quito. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America.  UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. In 2008 Quito became headquarters of the Union of South American Nations. The elevation of the city's central square (Plaza de La Independencia or Plaza Grande) is 2850 meters (9350 feet), making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz, Bolivia). The central square of Quito is located about 25 km (15 miles) south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km (0.6 miles) of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word ecuador is Spanish for equator.
    09EQUCIMG_4067_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • People stroll a street in Quito, Ecuador, Pichincha province, South America. San Francisco de Quito is most often called Quito, capital city of Ecuador and of Pichincha province. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. In 2008 the city was designated as the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations. The elevation of the city's central square (Plaza de La Independencia or Plaza Grande) is 2850 meters (9350 feet), making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz, Bolivia). The central square of Quito is located about 25 km (15 miles) south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km (0.6 miles) of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word ecuador is Spanish for equator.
    09ECU-1284_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. In 2008 the city was designated as the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations. The elevation of the city's central square (Plaza de La Independencia or Plaza Grande) is 2850 meters (9350 feet), making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz, Bolivia). The central square of Quito is located about 25 km (15 miles) south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km (0.6 miles) of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word ecuador is Spanish for equator.
    09ECU-1116_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • Spiral columns of a church in Quito. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America.  UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. In 2008 the city was designated as the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations. The elevation of the city's central square (Plaza de La Independencia or Plaza Grande) is 2850 meters (9350 feet), making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz, Bolivia). The central square of Quito is located about 25 km (15 miles) south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km (0.6 miles) of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word ecuador is Spanish for equator.
    09ECU-1134_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • Travelers enjoy the beach via inflatable boat at Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island, an icon of the Galápagos archipelago. This large black partially eroded lava formation was created when volcanic magma reached the sea and exploded into particles which fastened together into rock comprised of thin layers. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Panorama was stitched from 5 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-4435-39pan_Pinnacle-Rock.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean, expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-4032_Galapagos.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean creating steam clouds and expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3818_Galapagos.jpg
  • Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island is an icon of the Galápagos archipelago. This large black partially eroded lava formation was created when volcanic magma reached the sea and exploded into particles which fastened together into rock comprised of thin layers. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4409_Galapagos.jpg
  • The famous tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock juts like a knife from Bartolomé Island in the Galápagos archipelago, Ecuador. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after a Lieutenant of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos Islands, just off the east coast of Santiago (or James) Island seen in the background. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (Official name: Archipiélago de Colón; other names: Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are grouped along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. Panorama stitched from five images. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama was stitched from 5 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-4404-08pan_Bartolome-Island.jpg
  • Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island is an icon of the Galápagos archipelago. This large black partially eroded lava formation was created when volcanic magma reached the sea and exploded into particles which fastened together into rock comprised of thin layers. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4353_Galapagos.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean, expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-4137_Galapagos.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean, expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-3795_Galapagos.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean creating steam clouds and expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3782_Galapagos.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean creating steam clouds and expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3457_Galapagos.jpg
  • Travelers enjoy the beach via inflatable boat at Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island, an icon of the Galápagos archipelago. This large black partially eroded lava formation was created when volcanic magma reached the sea and exploded into particles which fastened together into rock comprised of thin layers. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. For licensing options, please inquire.
    09ECU-4450_Galapagos.jpg
  • A boardwalk protects a lava landscape from erosion on the summit of Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy), one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4422_Galapagos.jpg
  • Travelers see dramatic clouds and sky at the summit of Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy), one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4411_Galapagos.jpg
  • Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island is an icon of the Galápagos archipelago. This large black partially eroded lava formation was created when volcanic magma reached the sea and exploded into particles which fastened together into rock comprised of thin layers. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Panorama was stitched from 6 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-4384-89pan_Bartolome-Island.jpg
  • A volcanic tuff cone rises above Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island (Bartholomew Island), Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This large black partially eroded lava formation was created when volcanic magma reached the sea and exploded into particles which fastened together into rock comprised of thin layers. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4315_Galapagos.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean creating steam clouds and expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3794_Galapagos.jpg
  • Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island, seen in the background. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4424_Galapagos.jpg
  • Snorkel at a sea arch at Puerto Egas via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador, or James) Island, in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. Santiago Island has a maximum altitude of 907 metres (2976 feet). Marine iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, land and sea turtles, flamingos, dolphins and sharks thrive here. Human-introduced pigs and goats caused great harm to the endemic species, but have been subsequently eradicated (pigs in 2002; goats almost all eliminated). Darwin Finches, Galápagos Hawks and a colony of Fur Seals are usually seen here. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4299_Galapagos.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean, expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-4128_Galapagos.jpg
  • This Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) lives at Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Ecuador, South America. The Galápagos Penguin is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, and is the only penguin to live on the equator (no penguins live further north). It can survive due to the cool temperatures resulting from the Humboldt Current and cool waters brought up from great depths by the Cromwell Current. They only forage during the day, usually near their breeding site, and depend on the cold nutrient-rich currents to bring them food such as schooling fish, mainly mullet, sardines, and sometimes crustaceans. The species is endangered, one of the world’s rarest penguin species, with an estimated population size of around 1,500 individuals in 2004. On land, the penguins must keep an eye out for crabs, snakes, owls, and hawks, while in the water they must avoid sharks, fur seals, sea lions and orcas. Its nearest relatives are the African Penguin, the Magellanic Penguin and the Humboldt Penguin. The Galápagos Penguin lives mainly on Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island, but small populations are scattered on Santiago, Bartolome, northern Santa Cruz, and Floreana. Galápagos Penguins have a black head with a white border running from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, to join on the throat. They have blackish-grey upperparts and whitish underparts, with two black bands across the breast, the lower band extending down the flanks to the thigh. Juveniles have a wholly dark head, greyer on side and chin, and no breast-band.
    09ECU-3727_Galapagos.jpg
  • Small islands near Chinese Hat, off the southeastern tip of Santiago (or San Salvador, or James) Island, in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4309_Galapagos.jpg
  • White orchid in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_2896_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Gecko and parrot art is crafted onto leather for sale in Otavalo market, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1527_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Basilica of the National Vow (Spanish: Basílica del Voto Nacional) is a Roman Catholic church, neo-Gothic in style, located a few blocks away from Plaza de la Independencia in Quito, Ecuador, South America. Construction began in 1892. Pope John Paul II blessed the Basilica on January 30th, 1985 and in 1988 it was declared immaculate. Although the church was consecrated in 1988, it remains technically "unfinished." The Basilica is 150 meters long, 35 meters wide, 35 meters high in the sanctuary and 15 meters in the votive chapels. Its towers are 78.23 meters high, 73 meters in the dome, 16 meters by 45 meters on the base of its towers. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito (elevation 9350 feet), is the capital city of Ecuador. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. Panorama was stitched from 12 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-1078-89pan_Quito-Basilica.jpg
  • A young Nazca Booby (Sula granti) fledges new wings on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America. The Nazca Booby is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, namely on the Galápagos Islands and Clipperton Island. The Revillagigedo Islands off Baja California possibly constitute its northeasternmost limit of breeding range. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Masked Booby but the Nazca Booby is now recognized as a separate species differing in ecology, morphology, and DNA. The Nazca Booby co-occurs with the Masked Booby on Clipperton Island, where they may rarely hybridize.  Two eggs are laid so that one remains insurance in case the other gets destroyed or eaten, or the chick dies soon after hatching, which often occurs as one chick out-competes the other.
    09ECU-5353_Galapagos.jpg
  • Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) parents swap nesting duty on two eggs on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. A dark pigment surrounding the female's eye pupil makes it look larger than the male's. .The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean.
    09ECU-4546_Galapagos.jpg
  • Aerial overview, green Andes Highlands, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_4059_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • A black and yellow banded spider climbs a plant in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Spiders have eight legs and are not insects. Spiders (order Araneae, class Arachnida) are air-breathing arthropods that have chelicerae, grasping mouthparts with fangs that inject venom. Unlike spiders, insects have six legs and a pair of antennae.
    09EQUCIMG_2997_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Yellow flowers (probably in the Calceolariaceae Family) bloom in high cloud forest near the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. Calceolaria, also called Lady's purse, Slipper flower, Pocketbook flower, or Slipperwort, is a genus of plants in the Calceolariaceae family, sometimes classified in Scrophulariaceae by some authors. This genus consists of about 388 species of shrubs, lianas and herbs, and the geographic range extends from Patagonia to central Mexico, with its distribution centre in Andean region. Calceolaria in Latin means shoemaker. Calceolarias have usually yellow or orange flowers, which can have red or purple spots.
    09ECU-2487_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farmland lines the driving loop around Lago Quilotoa in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2361_Ecuador.jpg
  • Hotel Sierra Madre Cotopaxi, near the town of Machachi, adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi). Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2292_Ecuador.jpg
  • This bird is probably a Thick-billed Euphonia (Euphonia laniirostris), a species in the family Fringillidae (formerly placed in the Thraupidae family). Euphonia laniirostris is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and heavily degraded former forest. The bird was photographed in the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. It has a bright yellow belly, yellow crown, and blue-black upper feathers and tail. It stands on a ripe banana and fills its beak to satisfaction.
    09ECU-2202_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A red trumpet shaped flower blooms in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2103_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) hummingbird lives in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
    09ECU-1659_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Colorful paintings are sold at Otavalo market, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1500_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) bark and bask on the sandy beach of Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5485_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata, or Galapagos Albatross) sculpture welcomes visitors to Puerto Ayora, capitol of Santa Cruz Island and the largest town in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, Ecuador, South America. Santa Cruz Island is a large dormant volcano in the Galápagos Islands with a maximum altitude of 864 metres. The last eruptions occurred around a million and a half years ago. Santa Cruz translates from Spanish as Holy Cross. Its English name, Indefatigable, was given after a British vessel HMS Indefatigable. Situated in the centre of the archipelago, Santa Cruz Canton is the second largest island of the Galápagos archipelago after Isabela. The economy includes tourism, agriculture and cattle raising. Santa Cruz hosts the largest human population in the archipelago at the town of Puerto Ayora.
    09ECU-5081_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galápagos giant tortoise Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra, formerly Geochelone elephantopus) enters a pool of water at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS, operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation) in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos islands, Ecuador, South America. This species is the largest living tortoise and is native to seven islands of the Galápagos archipelago. Fully grown adults can weigh over 300 kilograms (661 lb) and measure 1.5 meters (5 feet) over the curve of the shell. They are long-lived with a life expectancy of up to 100-150 years in the wild. Populations fell dramatically because of hunting and the introduction of predators and grazers by humans since the 1600s. Only ten subspecies of the original twelve exist in the wild. Since Galápagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation were established, hundreds of captive-bred juveniles have been released back onto their home islands.
    09ECU-5047_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra, formerly Geochelone elephantopus) rests in a pool of water at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS, operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation) in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos islands, Ecuador, South America. This species is the largest living tortoise and is native to seven islands of the Galápagos archipelago. Fully grown adults can weigh over 300 kilograms (661 lb) and measure 1.5 meters (5 feet) over the curve of the shell. They are long-lived with a life expectancy of up to 100-150 years in the wild. Populations fell dramatically because of hunting and the introduction of predators and grazers by humans since the 1600s. Only ten subspecies of the original twelve exist in the wild. Since Galápagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation were established, hundreds of captive-bred juveniles have been released back onto their home islands.
    09ECU-5028_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra, formerly Geochelone elephantopus) is bred at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS, operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation) in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos islands, Ecuador, South America. This species is the largest living tortoise and is native to seven islands of the Galápagos archipelago. Fully grown adults can weigh over 300 kilograms (661 lb) and measure 1.5 meters (5 feet) over the curve of the shell. They are long-lived with a life expectancy of up to 100-150 years in the wild. Populations fell dramatically because of hunting and the introduction of predators and grazers by humans since the 1600s. Only ten subspecies of the original twelve exist in the wild. Since Galápagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation were established, hundreds of captive-bred juveniles have been released back onto their home islands.
    09ECU-5007_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Swallow-tailed Gull chick (Creagrus furcatus, the only species in the genus Creagrus) waits for a parent to bring food to a bare ground nest on North Seymour Island in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, located 972 km west of the continent of South America. The Swallow-tailed Gull is an equatorial seabird in the gull family Laridae. Its scientific name is derived from the Latin Larus, "gull" and furca "two-tined fork". It spends most of its life flying and hunting over the open ocean. The main breeding location is the cliffs of the larger Galápagos Islands, with lower numbers on most of the smaller islands. It is more common on the eastern islands where the water is warmer. It is the only fully nocturnal gull and seabird in the world, preying on squid and small fish which rise to the surface at night to feed on plankton.
    09ECU-4603_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) eats algae from a rock at Puerto Egas, visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea.
    09ECU-4270_Galapagos.jpg
  • The skin and bones of a dead Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) dry on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3668_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3293_Galapagos.jpg
  • Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the Galápagos archipelago, is on Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island, Ecuador, South America), which is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically. Nearby tourism sites include: the Cerro Tijeretas (Frigatebird Hill), a nesting colony for Frigate birds; and a statue of Charles Darwin, marking the original site where he first disembarked in the Galápagos Islands on 16 September 1835, during the voyage of the Beagle. The Spanish name for San Cristóbal comes from the Patron Saint of seafarers, "St. Christopher." Its older English name of Chatham is that of William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. The highest point on the island rises to 730 meters. Panorama was stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-3041-44_Puerto-Baquerizo-Moren...jpg
  • Lupine flowers bloom above beautiful Lake Quilotoa, Ecuador, South America. Quilotoa, a tourist site of growing popularity, is a scenic water-filled caldera that is the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 3 kilometers (2 mile) wide caldera (diameter about 9km) was formed by the collapse of this dacite volcano following a catastrophic VEI-6 eruption about 800 years ago, which produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that reached the Pacific Ocean, and spread an airborne deposit of volcanic ash throughout the northern Andes. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 meter (820 foot) deep crater lake, which has a greenish color from dissolved minerals. Fumaroles are found on the lake floor and hot springs occur on the eastern flank of the volcano. The route to the "summit" (the small town of Quilotoa) is generally traveled by hired truck or bus from the town of Zumbahua 17 km to the South.  Lupinus is a genus in the pea family (also called the legume, bean, or pulse family, Latin name Fabaceae or Leguminosae). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 3 overlapping images.
    09ECU-2807-09pan_Quilotoa.jpg
  • A woman with purple head covering sells a cow at the bustling Saturday animal market in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-1430.jpg
  • Chuquiraga is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. Quilotoa, in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_3070_Ecuador.jpg
  • A crawling insect with knobby white shell eats leaves in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_3000_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Saturday animal market bustles in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09EQUCIMG_2844_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • In Latacunga, Ecuador, a bus/truck proclaims political slogans, banners and pictures.
    09ECU-3014_Ecuador.jpg
  • Chuquiraga is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. Quilotoa, in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2841_Ecuador.jpg
  • Chuquiraga is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. Quilotoa, in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2840_Ecuador.jpg
  • Lupine flowers bloom above beautiful Lake Quilotoa, Ecuador, South America. Quilotoa, a tourist site of growing popularity, is a scenic water-filled caldera that is the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 3 kilometers (2 mile) wide caldera (diameter about 9km) was formed by the collapse of this dacite volcano following a catastrophic VEI-6 eruption about 800 years ago, which produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that reached the Pacific Ocean, and spread an airborne deposit of volcanic ash throughout the northern Andes. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 meter (820 foot) deep crater lake, which has a greenish color from dissolved minerals. Fumaroles are found on the lake floor and hot springs occur on the eastern flank of the volcano. The route to the "summit" (the small town of Quilotoa) is generally traveled by hired truck or bus from the town of Zumbahua 17 km to the South. Lupinus is a genus in the pea family (also called the legume, bean, or pulse family, Latin name Fabaceae or Leguminosae). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 3 overlapping images.
    09ECU-2807-09pan_Quilotoa.jpg
  • Lupine flowers bloom above beautiful Lake Quilotoa, Ecuador, South America. Quilotoa, a tourist site of growing popularity, is a scenic water-filled caldera that is the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 3 kilometers (2 mile) wide caldera (diameter about 9km) was formed by the collapse of this dacite volcano following a catastrophic VEI-6 eruption about 800 years ago, which produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that reached the Pacific Ocean, and spread an airborne deposit of volcanic ash throughout the northern Andes. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 meter (820 foot) deep crater lake, which has a greenish color from dissolved minerals. Fumaroles are found on the lake floor and hot springs occur on the eastern flank of the volcano. The route to the "summit" (the small town of Quilotoa) is generally traveled by hired truck or bus from the town of Zumbahua 17 km to the South. Lupinus is a genus in the pea family (also called the legume, bean, or pulse family, Latin name Fabaceae or Leguminosae). Panorama stitched from 9 overlapping images.
    09ECU-2753-62pan_Quilotoa-Lake.jpg
  • A woman leads three horses on a rope at Quilotoa in the Andes Highlands, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2599_Ecuador.jpg
  • Green flower with yellow center grows on a tall stalk at the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop.
    09ECU-2549_Ecuador.jpg
  • Water falls in a cloud forest in the high altitude landscape above the Black Sheep Inn, near Chugchilan, along the Lago Quilotoa driving loop, Ecuador, the Andes, South America.
    09ECU-2447_Ecuador.jpg
  • Bromeliads grow in cloud forest above Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 2,400 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa. The family includes both epiphytes, such as Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), and terrestrial species, such as the pineapple (Ananas comosus). Many bromeliads are able to store water in a "tank" formed by their tightly-overlapping leaf bases. However, the family is diverse enough to include the tank bromeliads, grey-leaved epiphytic Tillandsia species that gather water only from leaf structures called trichomes, and a large number of desert-dwelling succulents.
    09ECU-2439_Ecuador.jpg
  • Water droplets glisten on blue lupine flowers in Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi), a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2282_Ecuador.jpg
  • Fawn-breasted brilliant (Heliodoxa rubinoides) hummingbird. Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2188_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Andean Emerald (Amazilia franciae) hummingbird at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. The Andean Emerald is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
    09ECU-2172_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Heliconia, also popularly known as lobster-claw, wild plantain or false bird-of-paradise, is a beautiful flower with multi-color bracts and varied flower structure. The leaves resemble those of a banana plant. Heliconias are native to the tropical Americas and the Pacific Ocean islands west to Indonesia. Heliconia, formerly included in the family Musaceae, is now the only genus under Heliconiaceae. Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2093_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in humid Andean forests from western Venezuela, through Colombia and Ecuador, to Peru.
    09ECU-2047_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
    09ECU-2026_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Hummingbirds gather at a feeder at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2023_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A moth (order Lepidoptera) is attracted to night lights at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-1803_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A 6 inch young leaf unfurls into a giant 3 foot diameter leaf in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-1758_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
    09ECU-1728_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
    09ECU-1719_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
    09ECU-1701_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Masked Flowerpiercer (Diglossopis cyanea, in the Thraupidae family) was photographed at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is a blue and black bird with red eyes found in humid montane forest and scrub in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
    09ECU-1682_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Green caterpillar tour tram, Cotacachi, Ecuador, South America. Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins and other leather products. The culturally vibrant valley around Otavalo attracts many tourists to the Imbabura Province of Ecuador.
    09ECU-1564_Ecuador.jpg
  • Painted gourds for sale, Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1535_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Giant wooden spoons at Otavalo market, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1482_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Woman holds boy, wears gold jewelry, in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1340_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Woven rugs are sold Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1313_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Ecuadorian chess sets fight conquistadors versus Inca warriors in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1303_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Good Friday, April 10, 2009 in Quito, Ecuador, Pichincha province, South America: The Virgen Dolorosa (Virgin of Sorrows) is paraded in Quito’s great procession of Good Friday, which starts and ends at the San Francisco church and passes through Quito’s historic center. Good Friday was the day when Jesus Christ was sentenced and crucified.
    09ECU-1264_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • Monasterio de San Agustín (or Iglesia de San Agustín; or Church of Saint Augustine) was built 1580-1627, rebuilt 1868, on the corner of Mejia and Flores Streets in Quito, Ecuador, South America. Ecuador’s first (short-lived) Act of Independence was signed inside this church in August 1809. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains.
    09ECU-1168_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • Ice plant flowers (Family Aizoaceae or Ficoidaceae) bloom at Basilica of the National Vow (Spanish: Basílica del Voto Nacional), a Roman Catholic church, neo-Gothic in style, located a few blocks away from Plaza de la Independencia in Quito, Ecuador, South America. Interesting gargoyles (grotesques) of Ecuadorian fauna adorn the exterior. Construction began in 1892. Pope John Paul II blessed the Basilica on January 30th, 1985 and in 1988 it was declared immaculate. Although the church was consecrated in 1988, it remains technically "unfinished." The Basilica is 150 meters long, 35 meters wide, 35 meters high in the sanctuary and 15 meters in the votive chapels. Its towers are 78.23 meters high, 73 meters in the dome, 16 meters by 45 meters on the base of its towers. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito (elevation 9350 feet), is the capital city of Ecuador. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America.
    09ECU-1050_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09EQUCIMG_3324_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Eric, operated by Ecoventura, is a superior first class motor yacht built in early 1990’s, which has refitted its electrical system to be the first solar-panel hybrid vessel in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
    09EQUCIMG_3228_Galapagos.jpg
  • A girl rides a tortoise sculpture in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island), which is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically. Ecuador, South America. The Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra, formerly called Geochelone elephantopus) can grow a shell up to about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long (smaller than this supersized sculpture). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-5545_tortoise-girl_f10_Galapag...jpg
  • Beach sand clings to a baby Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) on Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in Sport Diver magazine Nov/Dec 2014, "World's Best: Seals & Sea Lions" article, publisher BONNIER CORPORATION DIVE GROUP.
    09ECU-5511_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) bask on the sandy beach of Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5466_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Nazca Booby (Sula granti) colony stains coastal cliffs white with guano on volcanic Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands (formed 3 million years ago), a province of Ecuador, South America. Española is becoming a rocky, barren land with little or no vegetation, with large bays, sand and soft shingle which attracts a healthy number of Galapagos Sea Lions. The English named it Hood Island after Viscount Samuel Hood. Tourists come to see the Waved Albatross and the mating dances of blue-footed boobies. Two spots are especially popular with visitors: Bahía Gardner, which has a lovely beach; and Punta Suárez, of interest because of its varied bird-life. This island has its own species of animals, such as the Española Mockingbird, which has a longer and more curved beak than the one on the central islands; the Española lava lizard; the Marine Iguana, which has red markings on its back; and others. Boobies, Swallow-tailed Gulls and other tropical birds live here. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5379_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Nazca Booby (Sula granti) chick roosts on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America. The Nazca Booby is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, namely on the Galápagos Islands and Clipperton Island. The Revillagigedo Islands off Baja California possibly constitute its northeasternmost limit of breeding range. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Masked Booby but the Nazca Booby is now recognized as a separate species differing in ecology, morphology, and DNA. The Nazca Booby co-occurs with the Masked Booby on Clipperton Island, where they may rarely hybridize.  Two eggs are laid so that one remains insurance in case the other gets destroyed or eaten, or the chick dies soon after hatching, which often occurs as one chick out-competes the other.
    09ECU-5351_Galapagos.jpg
  • Surf crashes against sea cliffs of Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands (formed 3 million years ago), a province of Ecuador, South America. Española is becoming a rocky, barren land with little or no vegetation, with large bays, sand and soft shingle which attracts a healthy number of Galapagos Sea Lions. The English named it Hood Island after Viscount Samuel Hood. Tourists come to see the Waved Albatross and the mating dances of blue-footed boobies. Two spots are especially popular with visitors: Bahía Gardner, which has a lovely beach; and Punta Suárez, of interest because of its varied bird-life. This island has its own species of animals, such as the Española Mockingbird, which has a longer and more curved beak than the one on the central islands; the Española lava lizard; the Marine Iguana, which has red markings on its back; and others. Boobies, Swallow-tailed Gulls and other tropical birds live here. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5244_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) roosts at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels).
    09ECU-5196_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) basks at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands. They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island.
    09ECU-5160_Galapagos.jpg
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