Picture of the Day: The [Tree] That [Saved] the Camel's Back

Photo Courtesy The Daily Mail

A lonely, over-heated dromedary seeking a respite from the overwhelming heat of the desert sun is today's Picture of the Day. 

 This over-heated camel sought refuge in the boiling heat on the island of Soqotra in Yemen by sheltering in the shade under a bizarre tree which looks like a gigantic mushroom. Using the tree as an over-sized parasol, the camel was able to rest and recuperate after trekking across the hot sand dunes on the tiny, desert island located in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. 


The tree is called the Dragon's Blood tree, named for the crimson sap that seeps from the bark. The sap has been used for centuries locally, both as a tint for paint as well as for medicinal reasons. The tree is extremely rare, only growing on the small, remote island. 

Volcano in Red Sea off Coast of Yemen Erupts

© NASA - MODIS Rapid Response System

A volcanic island located in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen has erupted, continuing a disturbing trend of high volcanic activity throughout the region...and the entire world.

Fishermen from Salif, Yemen, witnessed the eruption near Saba Island, in the Az Zubair archipelago, the Yemen Observer newspaper reported on Wednesday. The report described lava spouting 20 to 30 meters (about 65 to 100 feet) into the air as well as a moderate-sized ash cloud. The volcanic island rises from deep waters of the southern Red Sea, north of the Az Zubair archipelago.

The eruption in Yemen follows after a volcano in nearby Eritrea erupted in June of this year, after thousands of years of being dormant. The ash cloud from that erupting volcano temporarily disrupted air traffic across parts of the Middle East and Europe.