Beaches closed on El Hierro due to volcanic gas threat

November 10, 2011 – CANARY ISLAND – Spain’s Civil Protection for Volcanic Risk has closed two beaches on the island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands because of potentially toxic gasses emanating from an underwater volcano off the island’s shore. The decision came after a technician from the country’s National Geographic Institute had to seek medical treatment after he was taken ill while measuring carbon dioxide levels there the previous day, Spanish TV reported. Authorities on the island insist there is no major risk for the population. In the nearby village of La Restinga, one resident said he noticed unusual behavior from a member of the local feline population, which was scavenging along the shoreline. “We were looking at a cat that was eating in these pools, and the fish in them were dead. We thought the cat was some rare breed, and was it normal that he was eating dead fish,” the man said. The island has experienced hundreds of low intensity earthquakes due to volcanic activity. Witnesses say that explosions from the underwater volcano sometimes blasted 25 meters above sea level. –Telegraph