'I Am Fury': Filipino Photographer Captures Stunning Shot of Mayon Volcano Spilling Lava

If the legends are true, Pagtuga is igniting Magayon’s fury. Just in time for Filipino photographer Edwin Martinez to capture the moment in a stunning shot of Mayon Volcano spilling lava and rocks in Albay province.

In a Facebook post, Martinez explained how he got the epic shot with his Canon EOS R5 + RF 100-500mm: “This was one of the design concepts I had in my mind, so when clouds rolled in below the lava line, I just started photographing this scene till the cloud and plumes were gone.”

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The photo is a reminder that while Mayon is a popular tourist destination, it’s still the most active volcano in the Philippines. Alert Level 2 was first raised over Mayon Volcano on June 5, when the volcano experienced rockfall from its lava dome. The volcano has only become more active in recent weeks, causing the alert level to be raised to Level 3.

But it looks like the end is not in sight. Mayon’s abnormal activity has no signs of slowing down, and the lava flows could continue for months, according to Mariton Bornas, chief of the volcano monitoring and eruption prediction division at of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

After weeks of restlessness, Mayon has caused the evacuation of over 10,000 families. Thankfully, no one has perished so far, but the slow lava flows are still enough to warn locals and tourists to stay away.

For now, we can respect the force of nature—from a distance.