The Revillagigedo Islands

Man I love Google Earth. I did not know that there are active volcanos in the Pacific Ocean off of Mexico's west coast. There is a cluster of tiny volcanic islands way off the coast called The Revillagigedo Islands. This archipelago consists of Isla Socorro, Isla San Benedicto, Roca Partido, and Isla Clarión.

Check this one out. This is the volcano Barcena on Isla San Benedicto. It last erupted in 1952. Here is a photo of it erupting. The island is nothing but ash. It looks like it belongs on the moon.

Here is another one nearby. It is called Isla Socorro. Socorro means 'help' in Spanish. It last erupted in 1993. If you look at the south end of the island you can see the fresh lava flows.

Isla Clarion is way the hell out further west. It is a beautiful little island with a perfect natural harbor. It looks like the kind of island you picture Robinson Coruso being stuck on. The Mexican military maintains a small 9 man garrison out there. I wonder how long they get to be stuck out there?

Roca Partido is nothing but a rock sticking up from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. It means "broken rock" in Spanish.

Now there is another island even more isolated off of Mexico's coast called Clipperton Island. It is a French posession and is not considered part of the Revillagigedo Islands. It is a strange little Island, the shape of a donut with a completely landlocked central lagoon full of stagnate acidic water.

It has a bizarre history. Back when Mexico owned it, they put a garrison out there and built a light house. The Mexican Revolution caused the mainlanders to abandon the 100 men, women, and children living on the island. By 1917, most of the men had died, some in a failed attempt to sail to the mainland and fetch help. The lighthouse keeper, Victoriano Álvarez, found himself the last man on the island, along with 15 women and children. Álvarez promptly proclaimed himself King and began a rampage of rape and murder, before being killed by one of the recipients of his attentions. In July 1917, almost immediately following Álvarez's death, three women and two children, the last survivors, were picked up by the US Navy gunship USS Yorktown.

Read about it here.