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  • 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
  • Aerial overview, green Andes Highlands, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_4059_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • A llama baby stands on the rim of Quilotoa. 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.
    09EQUCIMG_3088_Ecuador.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
  • 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
  • red heart flower in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America
    09EQUCIMG_2983_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • orange flower in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America
    09EQUCIMG_2981_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Green plants cover the roof of the Geodesic Dome lodging in the forest canopy at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, less than 2 hours drive from Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_2913_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • White orchid in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_2896_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
  • A woman, boy, girl and dog drive sheep on the road to Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, Andes Mountains, South America.
    09ECU-3011_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farm, crop, ranch, and cactus land climbs a hill near Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-3004_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
  • The necks of two Llamas cross at Quilotoa, Ecuador, South America
    09ECU-2839_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
  • An Ecuadorian woman and baby ride a donkey at Quilotoa, near Zumbahua, in the Ecuadorian Andes.
    09ECU-2563_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
  • A checkerboard of farm, crop and ranch land climbs a steep hill near the Black Sheep Inn, near the village of Chugchilan, located 1.5 hours from Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2547_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farm, crop and ranch land climbs a steep hill near the Black Sheep Inn, near the village of Chugchilan, located 1.5 hours from Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2541_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farm, crop and ranch land climbs a steep hill near the Black Sheep Inn, near the village of Chugchilan, located 1.5 hours from Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2533_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
  • Yellow flowers in high cloud forest near the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop.
    09ECU-2481_Ecuador.jpg
  • A pink magenta flower blooms on a tree at the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop.
    09ECU-2478_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-2440_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
  • 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-2433_Ecuador.jpg
  • Red trumpet shaped Fuchsia flowers bloom in high cloud forest near the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. Fuchsia is a genus of flowering plants, mostly shrubs, and can grow long shoots, which were identified by Charles Plumier in the late-17th century, and named by Plumier in 1703 after the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs (1501–1566). The English name fuchsias is frequently misspelled "fuschias".
    09ECU-2429_Ecuador.jpg
  • See highlands and Paramo (above treeline) landscape above the Black Sheep Inn, near Chugchilan, along the Lago Quilotoa driving loop, Ecuador, the Andes, South America. The Páramo is a high elevation ecosystem in tropical South America (neotropical) between the upper forest line (about 3800 m altitude) and the permanent snow line (about 5000 m). The ecosystem contains mostly glacier formed valleys and plains with a large variety of lakes, peat bogs and wet grasslands intermingled with shrublands and forest patches. Panorama was stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2418-21pan_Ecuador.jpg
  • An agave plant grows in highlands farms in the landscape around the Black Sheep Inn (Posada Oveja Negra) sign, in Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2388_Ecuador.jpg
  • Black Sheep Inn (Posada Oveja Negra) sign, Chugchilan, Ecuador, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop, South America.
    09ECU-2384_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farmland lines the driving loop around Lago Quilotoa in the highlands of Ecuador, South America. Panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2363-65pan_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farmland lines the driving loop around Lago Quilotoa in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2361_Ecuador.jpg
  • SANTUARIO DE CUICUNO was built in Ecuador in the sixteenth century and belonged to the family Rovayo. This church is located 13 kilometers from Saquisilí, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. South America.
    09ECU-2327_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. Panorama was stitched from 9 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2313-21pan_Hotel-Cotopaxi.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-2306_Ecuador.jpg
  • Pasochoa (4,200 meters) is an extinct volcano in the Guayllabamba river basin in the Ecuadorean Andes, South America, home of Pasochoa Wild Life Refuge established in 1996. This view of Pasochoa is from Hotel Sierra Madre Cotopaxi, near the town of Machachi, adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi). Pasochoa is a collapsed crater with a semicircular shape. This structure emerged approximately 100 thousand years ago due to an eruption which destroyed the crater and occidental slope of the previous volcanic cone. Lava and ash increased the fertility of the ground in the Pasochoa region, encouraging the growth of a vibrant forest ecosystem. Despite the fertile soil, difficult accessibility and an uneven surface made the area inappropriate for extensive agriculture. The Pasochoa Wild Life Refuge, established in 1996, contains one of the few remaining original Andean forests. Fundacion Natura manages the Pasochoa and offer programs on the natural resource conservation and environmental education and sponsors scientific research. The mountain has a wonderful variety of wildlife, including pumas, foxes, skunks, a very diverse collection of birds, and a wonderful collection of plants.
    09ECU-2297_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
  • Wild horses graze 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-2287_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
  • Graupel (snow pellets) fall on volcanic rocks 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-2278_Ecuador.jpg
  • The Culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), sometimes known as the Andean Wolf (Spanish: Lobo), or (Common) Andean Fox, or Patagonian Fox, is a South American species of wild dog, seen here at the mountain refuge "José Ribas" on the north face of the Cotopaxi Volcano at 4800 meters (15,750 feet) of altitude in Ecuador. The Culpeo is the second largest native canid in South America after the Maned Wolf. In its appearance it bears many similarities to the widely recognized red fox. It has grey and reddish fur, a white chin, reddish legs, and a stripe on its back that may be barely visible.  Its distribution extends from Ecuador and Peru to the southern regions of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. It is most common on the western slopes of the Andes, where it inhabits open country and deciduous forests. The Culpeo's diet consists largely of rodents, rabbits, birds and lizards, and to a lesser extent, plant material and carrion. The Culpeo does attack sheep on occasion, and is therefore often hunted or poisoned. In some regions it has become rare, but overall the species is not threatened with extinction. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is 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).
    09ECU-2270_Ecuador.jpg
  • José Ribas hut (15,750 feet/4800 meters) is a climbers refuge on Cotopaxi, a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, 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-2265_Ecuador.jpg
  • 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. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province.
    09ECU-2255_Ecuador.jpg
  • José Ribas hut (15,750 feet/4800 meters) is a climbers refuge on Cotopaxi, a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, 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-2251_Ecuador.jpg
  • 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. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province.
    09ECU-2246_Ecuador.jpg
  • Rumiñahui Mountain (from Quichua rumi=rock, ñawi=eye/face) is a dormant, heavily-eroded stratovolcano 15,489 feet (4721 meters) above sea level in the Andes mountains 40 km south of Quito, Ecuador, South America, overshadowed by its taller neighbor Cotopaxi. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. The volcano is named after Rumiñahui, who was an Inca general at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. The canton of Rumiñahui in the Ecuadorian province of Pichincha was named after the volcano. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2244_Ecuador.jpg
  • Volcanic lahar mud path and stream. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is 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-2239_Ecuador.jpg
  • Quito, capital city of Ecuador, wraps around the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active volcano. The mountain's two highest peaks are the Guagua (15,696 feet/4,784 m), which means "child" in Quechua and the Rucu (15,413 feet/4,698 m), which means "old person". The active caldera is in the Guagua, on the western side of the mountain. Guagua is usually accessed from the village Lloa outside of Quito. In October of 1999, the volcano erupted and covered the city with several inches of ash. Prior to that, the last major eruption was in 1660, when about a foot of ash fell on the city. On May 24, 1822, in the context of the war of independence of Latin American, Patriot forces defeated a Spanish colonial army on the slopes of the Pichincha. The encounter, known as the Battle of Pichincha, sealed the independence of the lands that constitute modern Ecuador. 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. Panorama was stitched from 7 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2214-20pan_Quito-Ecuador_Quito...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
  • Brown hummingbird with white markings, at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2199_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this male White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora; or Great Jacobin; or Collared Hummingbird) hummingbird at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This large and attractive hummingbird ranges from Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia and south Brazil. The approximately 12 cm long male White-necked Jacobin is unmistakable with its white belly and tail, a white band on the nape and a dark blue hood. Immature males have less white in the tail and a conspicuous rufous patch in the malar region. Females are highly variable, and may resemble adult or immature males, have green upperparts, white belly, white-scaled green or blue throat, and white-scaled dark blue crissum, or have intermediate plumages, though retain the white-scaled dark blue crissum. Females are potentially confusing, but the pattern on the crissum is distinctive and not shared by superficially similar species. These birds usually visit flowers of tall trees and epiphytes for nectar, and also hawk for insects. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-2194_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) feeds at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird which breeds from east-central Mexico, through Central America and Colombia, east to western Venezuela and south through western Ecuador to near the border with Peru. This is a common to abundant bird of open country, river banks, woodland, scrub, forest edge, coffee plantations and gardens up to 1850 m (6000 ft). The adult throat is green (edged whitish in the female), the crown, back and flanks are green tinged golden, the belly is pale greyish, the vent and rump are rufous and the slightly forked tail is rufous with a dusky tip. The almost straight bill is red with a black tip; broadest on the upper mandible, which may appear all black. Immatures are virtually identical to the female. The female Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation. She lays two white eggs in a compact cup nest constructed from plant-fibre and dead leaves 1-6 m high on a thin horizontal twig. Incubation takes 15-19 days, and fledging another 20-26. The food of this species is nectar, taken from a variety of flowers, including Heliconias and bananas. Like other hummingbirds it also takes small insects as an essential source of protein. Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds are very aggressive, and defend flowers and scrubs in their feeding territories. They are dominant over most other hummingbirds.
    09ECU-2190_Bellavista-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
  • A male Green-crowned Brilliant hummingbird (Heliodoxa jacula) feeds at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is a large robust hummingbird in the highlands from Costa Rica to western Ecuador. The male Green-crowned Brilliant is 13 cm long and weighs 9.5 g. It is mainly bronze-green with a glittering green crown, forehead, throat and breast. It has a white spot behind the eye, a small violet throat patch, white thighs, and a deeply forked blue-black tail. The female is 12 cm long and weighs 8 g. She differs from the male in that she has green-spotted white underparts, a white spot behind the eye and a white stripe below the eye, and a white-cornered shallowly-forked black tail.. Young birds resemble the adult of the same sex, but are duller, bronze-tinged below and have buff throats.  This hummingbird feeds at the large inflorescences of Marcgravia vines, and at Heliconia and other large flowers. Unlike many hummingbirds, the Green-crowned Brilliant almost always perches to feed.
    09ECU-2156_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Andean emerald (Amazilia franciae) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2140_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A hummingbird sucks sugar water from feeders at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2136_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Large broad leaves grow in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2113_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A large leaf decays in a fractal pattern in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2110_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A red trumpet shaped flower blooms in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2103_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • In Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America, our guide called this white flower with red and yellow center a "Naza," which is possibly in the Urticaceae family (nettles).
    09ECU-2097_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The “wax flower” is a member of Ericaceae, the Heath Family. Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2096_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
  • An orange flower blooms from pink foliage in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2081_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • White fungi radiates from a tree trunk in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2079_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Trees reach into the mist of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2070_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Booted Racket-tail (or Racquet-tail; or Racquet-tailed Hummingbird; Latin name Ocreatus underwoodii) in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2063_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Booted Racket-tail (or Racquet-tail; or Racquet-tailed Hummingbird; Latin name Ocreatus underwoodii) in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2058_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-2055_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-2050_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 Violet-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Males average around 7 inches (18 cm), while females average around 3.8 inches (9.7 cm). The Sylph lives in areas from 300-2100 meters in elevation, though typically above 900 meters.
    09ECU-2045_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • green plant in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2037_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Gorgeted Sunangel (Heliangelus strophianus) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia and Ecuador, and shares several characters with H. clarisse and H. amethysticollis, and may belong to same superspecies.
    09ECU-2035_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-2031_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
  • 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-2024_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Hummingbirds gather at a feeder at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2023_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A tall mountain rises above Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2019_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Blue-winged Mountain-tanager (Anisognathus somptuosus) has yellow belly and top of head, blue-black upper feathers and tail. It is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, here at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is generally found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela in subtropical or tropical moist montanes.
    09ECU-1681_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Under a prickly pear cactus tree, tourists encourage a giant Galapagos Tortoise to fully extends its legs and neck in a cleaning posture for finches to preen parasites, at Charles Darwin Research Station, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra, formerly called Geochelone elephantopus) 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. 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.
    86GAL-09-14_Galapagos-Tortoise-peopl...jpg
  • Underwater orange and green algae grows in bright patterns in Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands (formed 3 million years ago), a province of Ecuador, South America. The English named it Hood Island after Viscount Samuel Hood. 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. 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.
    09EQUCIMG_3979_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra, formerly called Geochelone elephantopus) eats leaves 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.
    09EQUCIMG_3833_Galapagos.jpg
  • The day after we cruised by the eruption of La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina, our boat was covered with small glass pellets with threaded tails. On April 21, 2009, we saw La Cumbre volcano erupting with a fountain of lava creating a red river flowing 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.
    09EQUCIMG_3515_Galapagos.jpg
  • Snorkel to see a Gulf star (orange "starfish") in cold water at Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Ecuador, South America. Echinoderms (Echinodermata phylum) belong to the class Asteroidea. 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.
    09EQUCIMG_3442_Galapagos.jpg
  • A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) grazes underwater at Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The "green sea turtle" name comes from its greenish fat and flesh. The hues of its shell range from olive-brown to black in Eastern Pacific green turtles. The green turtle belongs to the family Cheloniidae and is the only species in the genus Chelonia. The species lives in tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It has a flattened body covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace and a pair of large, paddle-like flippers. Unlike other members of its family such as the hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, Chelonia mydas is mostly herbivorous (plant eating). The adults are commonly found in shallow lagoons, feeding mostly on various species of seagrass. 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.
    09EQUCIMG_3411_Galapagos.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
  • Snorkel to see Yellow-tailed Surgeonfish (Prionurus laticlaviusin) at Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), one of the Galapagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, in 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.
    09EQUCIMG_3259_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
  • Snorkel in waters of Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island), the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically.  Its Spanish (and most commonly used) name "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. 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.
    09EQUCIMG_3168_Galapagos.jpg
  • Map of our April 19-26, 2009 cruise itinerary on the yacht Eric operated by Ecoventura.com, in Galapagos Islands, which are a province of 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-5578_Galapagos-map.jpg
  • A foot bridge with animal cut outs crosses a channel in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (the capital of the Galápagos archipelago), 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.
    09ECU-5557_Galapagos.jpg
  • The golden cownose ray (or mustard ray, hawkray, pacific cownose ray; latin name Rhinoptera steindachneri, a species of fish in the Rhinopteridae family) swims at Gardner Bay, Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The golden cownose ray lives in the open seas, shallow seas, subtidal aquatic beds, estuarine waters, intertidal marshes, and coastal saline lagoons of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. 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-5517_Galapagos.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
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