Peru 2017-Post 21. The Paracas National Reserve—A Journey of Discovery

Wednesday July 19

From the town of Nasca we travelled through the desert by bus to our next destination.

The seaside village of Paracas. Great to see the Pacific Ocean once more. Following a hotel debarkel we rested for the night in preparation for a new adventure. Something completely different.

Now before I prattle on with a description of our adventure I thought I might cheat a little. I found an Awake! article that says it much better than I could.

The Paracas National Reserve—A Journey of Discovery (g03 12/8 pp. 16-19 - Awake!—2003)
By Awake! writer in Peru

FOR many years tourists from all over the world have been drawn to Peru. The itinerary usually includes Lima; Cuzco, the Inca capital; the splendid ruins of Machu Picchu; the majestic Andes; and perhaps even a boat ride on the Amazon. Recently another attraction has been added to the list—the Paracas National Reserve. It is about 150 miles [250 km] south of Lima, by way of the Pan-American Highway.

The Paracas National Reserve covers some 800,000 acres [335,000 ha] of coastal areas and the Paracas Peninsula. It was established in 1975 by the Peruvian government for the preservation of the abundant wildlife that permanently inhabit the area or annually migrate there. The reserve serves to encourage respect for the environment, while also promoting tourism. Over 100 archaeological sites have thus far been discovered, evidence of centuries of Paracas culture. The marine areas afford a home for sea lions, sea otters, dolphins, over two hundred species of birds, and four kinds of sea turtles.

On a map, the Paracas Peninsula looks like a mere button on the much larger bulge of the continental landmass. As a result of this geographic position, the area is buffeted by vigorous trade winds, locally called paracas. These winds surge northward, pushing along the cold Peru Current, or Humboldt Current. The combination of chilly waters, shallow shores, and ocean upwellings has made the peninsula one of the most prolific marine wildlife zones in the world. The Pacific Ocean here is green with an abundance of microorganisms, including both phytoplankton and zooplankton, and these serve as food for the millions of anchovies and other small fish that swarm in these rich waters. This marine banquet, especially the anchovies, sustains many seabirds, penguins, and sea mammals that are protected in the reserve.

Visiting the Ballestas Islands

Our journey begins at the docks in the bay at Paracas. Numerous small fishing boats are bobbing at anchor, their only passengers the local pelicans that sit preening and observing the activity of the people around them. Our speedboat arrives, and we eagerly step in and don our life jackets. Once away from the portside congestion, our boat picks up speed, giving us an exhilarating ride as we skim across the mild swells of the bay.

Fishing trawler heads out to sea.

Dolphins accompany our boat through the harbour.

Our first stop is near the end of the peninsula. There, our guide comments on a huge design on the hillside.

It is called the Candelabra, although you might think it looks like a three-armed cactus. Some have suggested that the design is part of the drawings of the famous Nazca Lines.*

Others have speculated that it was drawn by pirates or that it is a Masonic symbol made by the soldiers following revolutionary leader José de San Martín in 1820. Whatever its origin, this desert work of art is impressive to behold.

Once we are past the peninsula, our ride gets rougher. We can see the islands gleaming white in the morning sun. This, however, is not rock and sand but guano—seabird dung—which covers the islands.

Flocks of seabirds skim the surface of the water as they overtake our speeding boat.

We draw up to the Ballestas, or Crossbow, Islands, so named by the Spanish for the islands’ natural bowlike archways. The pilot slows down the motor. Our first thought is, ‘Who is observing whom?’ for perched on crags and the uppermost rims of the islands are countless seabirds—pelicans, terns, sea gulls, boobies, a variety of cormorants, and even Humboldt penguins.

In the 1800s 80% of Peru's economy was based on guano or bird droppings that served as fertiliser until the Germans developed artificial fertilisers.

Our guide regales us with facts and figures. “A male sea lion can weigh more than 300 kilos [650 pounds] and has a harem of as many as 20 females,” she explains. While the females have a shapely sea lion silhouette, the huge males look like bulging sacks of blubber. We learn that these males are strong and fearsome mammals that contend with each other for control of the harem and territory. The loser is often fatally wounded, thus providing food for the turkey vultures and condors that are also part of the food chain in these coastal waters. A sea lion has a rather hearty appetite, often devouring 20 pounds [10 kg] of fish during just one nighttime feeding. But these creatures are not aggressive toward us—just very curious.

Finally, we come to the ‘maternity ward,’ the largest beach area on the islands. We are thrilled to see many sea lions with squirming groups of dark-colored babies wriggling around the females. The beach is noisy with bellows, raspy guttural sounds, and high-pitched squeals. We are told that the pups may nurse for up to six months and that they learn to swim on their mother’s back.

As our pilot slowly steers us around each of the three islands and the stone archways, we notice the air is filled with the strong smell of guano. “In the archways,” our guide explains, “live vampire bats that feed on the sea lions while they sleep.” In the distance, we see what looks like a large, dark stain on the biggest island. It is a flock of guanayes, or cormorants, water birds that love togetherness. They are clustered tightly together resting and producing guano. Boobies make plummeting dives into the sea, while other birds glide past us at eye level.

A Humbolt penguin. While it may seem strange to see penguins in a tropical zone, the extremely cold waters and abundant fish supply make them feel right at home. Next, we spy sea lions sunning on every available rock platform. The islands are, for the most part, rock formations that plunge directly into the sea, and we admire how penguins and sea lions, so clumsy on land, manage to reach their perches.

As we make our way back to the docks, our guide says: “Sixty percent of the baby sea lions will perish before they are one year old. Some are squashed or are purposely eliminated by the males. Others drown. The El Niño weather phenomenon can also wreak havoc, as it forces the anchovies south to colder waters. Young sea lions do not have the strength to follow the adults to new feeding areas.”

Ironically, the greatest threat to the survival of the wildlife here may be man. Large numbers of sea lions have been slaughtered by hunters for their fur and by fishermen who consider them a nuisance. Sea turtles have been harvested for their meat, which is considered a delicacy, and for their shells, which are collector’s items. Bird populations have been disturbed by guano harvesters. The food supply has been depleted by overfishing. We are told that wildlife conservation methods are now the law. Perhaps such laws will influence people to be more conscious of conservation.

Back to our commentary...

Back on dry land we locate a taxi driver to take us to the Reserva Nacional Paracas. Who knew that there were flamingos here? Ok, the were far away but those tiny pink dots are flamingos wading in the bay.