Ballestas Islands
The Ballestas Islands form an important wildlife reserve, with over 160 species of marine birds, including Humboldt penguins, cormorants, boobies, pelicans and, occasionally condors. There is also animal life, including sea lions, seals, dolphins, whales and two endangered turtles. The islands are off the coast of the Paracas National Reserve, 240 km south of Lima and are a separate National Reserve by themselves.
The islands surrounding seas are rich in creel, and associated upper food chain fish. They provide a safe breeding ground for sea lions, pelicans and a large variety of bird life.
It is not allowed to disembark in the islands, but boats arrive until the banks of the islands.
The quantity of birds is particularly obvious from the huge amount of guano, covering the red rock of the islands with baked white clay - which, surprisingly enough, used to be Peru’s main industry, used extensively by Europeans for fertiliser. There are still a few guano factories on the islands, which guys live on for two months at a time like oil riggers.
Guano (originates from the Quichua language of the Inca civilization and means "the droppings of sea birds".) is the excrement (feces and urine) of seabirds, bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer and gunpowder ingredient due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. Superphosphate made from guano is used for aerial topdressing. Soil that is deficient in organic matter can be made more productive by addition of this manure.
Ballestas Islands
The Ballestas Islands form an important wildlife reserve, with over 160 species of marine birds, including Humboldt penguins, cormorants, boobies, pelicans and, occasionally condors. There is also animal life, including sea lions, seals, dolphins, whales and two endangered turtles. The islands are off the coast of the Paracas National Reserve, 240 km south of Lima and are a separate National Reserve by themselves.
The islands surrounding seas are rich in creel, and associated upper food chain fish. They provide a safe breeding ground for sea lions, pelicans and a large variety of bird life.
It is not allowed to disembark in the islands, but boats arrive until the banks of the islands.
The quantity of birds is particularly obvious from the huge amount of guano, covering the red rock of the islands with baked white clay - which, surprisingly enough, used to be Peru’s main industry, used extensively by Europeans for fertiliser. There are still a few guano factories on the islands, which guys live on for two months at a time like oil riggers.
Guano (originates from the Quichua language of the Inca civilization and means "the droppings of sea birds".) is the excrement (feces and urine) of seabirds, bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer and gunpowder ingredient due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. Superphosphate made from guano is used for aerial topdressing. Soil that is deficient in organic matter can be made more productive by addition of this manure.