La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina Island in the Pacific Ocean’s Galapagos archipelago erupted again after four years of calm, the Galapagos National Park (GNP) reported. The lava flows from a single main crack and runs several miles as a single river, then divides into three streams, and finally reunites into the sea via two channels.

The institution overseeing the area assures that there is no danger to human life because the island is uninhabited. However, Fernandina Island is considered an area dedicated to ‘absolute protection’ of local wildlife. No outside species are introduced in the area. The smoke and ash blow towards the westward direction away from Isabela Island, the closest to the eruption.

According to Oscar Carvajal, technical expert at the Galapagos National Park, the species which may be most affected are those found on the shores where the lava vents, such as marine iguanas, sea lions, and fish. The current eruption could last days or months and is a process of ‘natural regulation,’ according to experts.

The Galapagos Islands were officially declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978, the very first area in the world to have earned the distinction. In 2007, they were declared in ecological danger because of intrusive tourism and species immigration.

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Via The Huffington Post