We’ve seen quite a few photos of the recent eruption of Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island. Unfortunately, volcanic eruptions, though usually dramatic and spectacular to behold in person, are notoriously difficult to capture on film. For starters, if you want to photograph glowing, flowing lava, arguably the most interesting and exciting element of an eruption, you have to shoot at night. But it’s difficult in the dark to provide any sense of scale or perspective on what’s happening. Often, all you get is a thin ribbon of orange lava in a sea of blackness and smoke, which makes it hard to tell how far away the action is or how much lava is actually flowing. That’s why we really like these photos by Charles W. Anderson, who recently traveled on a Natural Habitat Adventures’ Galapagos cruise aboard the M/Y Letty. They really give you a sense of what it was like to be there. And, if you happen to be a LOTR fan, they will definitely remind you of Bilbo Baggins’ journey into Mordor, which is an added bonus.

You can see more of Charles’ excellent Galapagos images, including some additional volcano shots, here. He also managed to capture some great video footage of the eruption, which you can watch below.

eruption of wolf volcano from the Letty

© Charles W. Anderson

 

wolf volcano galapagos islands

© Charles W. Anderson

wolf volcano galapagos erupting

© Charles W. Anderson

 

wolf volcano eruption 1

© Charles W. Anderson.