In this photo released by Galapagos National Park, La Cumbre volcano erupts in Fernandina Island, in the Galapagos islands, Ecuador, Saturday, April 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Galapagos National Park) An erupting volcano in the Galapagos Islands could threaten unique wildlife, say officials with the Galapagos National Park.

Television images show lava flowing into the sea and clouds of gas and smoke pouring from La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina Island, which has no human inhabitants.

The volcano had been inactive for about four years but it began to erupt Saturday.

Park officials said in a release the eruption is not a threat to people living on nearby Isabela Island.

But they say lava flowing to the sea will likely affect marine and terrestrial iguanas and other fauna.

The Galapagos Islands are home to unique animal and plant species that became the basis for Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection — one of the fundamental ideas of modern biology.

The South American archipelago is 1,000 kilometres from the coast of Ecuador.

Scientists say Fernandina is the island with the most volcanic activity in the archipelago. La Cumbre last erupted in May 2005.

With files from the Associated Press