gringorio - 2-12-2005 at 09:42 PM
Has anyone ever visited this Sea of Cort?s volcano? It appeared to be well worth exploring...
"Isla _________ (fill in the blank), off the coast of Santa Rosal?a, is an example of an oceanic island formed by volcanic deposition."
Source:
Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/8998/8998.intro.html
[Edited on 2-13-2005 by gringorio]
I think it is called
Frigatebird - 2-12-2005 at 09:56 PM
Isla Tortuga. It will have to wait until after Las Tres Virgenes. Looks like a much easier climb though.
BornFisher - 2-12-2005 at 10:05 PM
Yeah I don`t think it`s San Marcos.
Thanks for that--- what a beautiful shot.
Hey reminds me of something (of course). Last time I traveled thru the Three Virgins area, I could only spot two. Thought something awful had happened
to one of them but I`m now restored with hope.
Here's a look
Frigatebird - 2-12-2005 at 10:18 PM
from the side.
gringorio - 2-12-2005 at 10:48 PM
Frigatebird's got it...
I wonder how easy the access is. When we flew over the whole shore line looked like a cliff. Any ideas?
elgatoloco - 2-13-2005 at 01:22 AM
Helicopter. 
Pompano - 2-13-2005 at 05:21 AM
If you wanting to go ashore at Tortuga the best (and it's terrible) landing for a small boat like an inflatable is on the northwest corner. Also
happens to be a good yellowtail/cabrilla corner. The whole island has a very bad anchorage...known to sailors for decades as an anchor-robbing
island. I have fished it since the 70's and have never found a good spot to set a hook. Lots of old Danforths and Seaplows down there in the rocks
if you like to dive...but it is known as a good cruising area for big shark.
Getting back to the topic....I know absolutely nothing about the volcano aspects of Tortuga...except that you have a beautiful view of the Tres
Virgenes volcanic mountains to the north.
Pompano - 2-13-2005 at 05:25 AM
Come to think of it...that photo does'nt look very much like Tortuga at all. Tortuga is not round.... has more coves and points.
tortuga
gringorio - 2-13-2005 at 07:11 AM
well... I took the photo when we flew over it on a flight with Screaming Airlines. I'm pretty sure it's Tortuga. 
bajajudy - 2-13-2005 at 07:46 AM
Thanks!
I had read about that island many years ago and could never remember the name.
yes Greg, it is Tortuga isla
capt. mike - 2-13-2005 at 08:15 AM
and if you recall we did one 360 around the isla and you guys photoged like krazy!
i fly right by it with each crossing from guaymas my AOE to mulege internacional!
Bob and Susan - 2-13-2005 at 08:45 AM
That's on your DVD Mike.....
djh - 2-13-2005 at 08:48 AM
Buenos dias amigos y amigas,
A wonderful web site for all of our ?'s about such things....
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/clickmap/
and for Baja, directly:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/clickmap/map100.htm
and specifically for Tortuga Island...
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/QuickView.pl?directory...
A pilot's eye / astronaut's view, without the bad food, eh?
Enjoy.
djh.
[Edited on 2-14-2005 by djh]
Space
gringorio - 2-13-2005 at 10:03 AM
Way Cool... thanks djh!
Photo citation/credit:
Earth Sciences and Image Analysis, NASA-Johnson Space Center. 2 Nov. 2004. "Astronaut Photography of Earth - Quick View."
(13 Feb. 2005).
Another try
Frigatebird - 2-13-2005 at 10:17 AM
from sea level.
This from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History:
Isla Tortuga is 4-km-wide volcanic island located in the Gulf of California, 40 km off the coast of Baja California. The flat-topped summit of the
210-m-high shield volcano contains a 1-km-wide caldera. Recent lava flows cover much of the surface of the volcano. This 1989 view is from the west.
No historical eruptions are known from Tortuga, although fumarolic activity continues.
[Edited on 2-13-2005 by Frigatebird]
found more info
gringorio - 2-13-2005 at 10:42 AM
from:
http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1401-011
"A youthful shield volcano forms Isla Tortuga, which lies in the Gulf of California 40 km off the Baja coast. A circular, 1-km-wide caldera, west of
the center of the oval, 4-km-long island, truncates the small shield volcano, which reaches only about 210 m above sea level. Circumferential faults
cut the rim of the >100-m-deep caldera, which is floored by a solidified lava lake and contains youthful-looking spatter cones. The shield volcano was
constructed during two north-migrating periods of activity that began with submarine eruptions and included formation of a circular tuff-ring complex
enclosing the caldera. The sides of a small volcanic horst in the center of the caldera display lava flows overlying a 2-m-thick halite bed, formed
when sea water filled the caldera, creating an evaporite basin. Recent lava flows cover most of the flanks of the volcano, and fumarolic activity has
continued into historical time."
Las Tres Virgenes Erupts...
Mexray - 2-13-2005 at 01:48 PM
Took this on Jan 21st, on our way down to Mulege area...sure looked like the 'ladies' were venting some steam!
Pompano - 2-13-2005 at 01:53 PM
I just got back from fishing this morning just to the west of Tortuga...and heard most definetely that that is Tortuga...didn't know about the crater
in all these years. Guess we never flew over it. Just goes to show you that you are never too old to learn something new in Baja.