Category Archives: travel

Birds of a Feather Flocking Together

Yes, there were a lot of Peruvian boobies on Islas Ballestas, but they weren’t the only birds around.  Here are some red-legged cormorants:

Red-Legged Cormorants

But most people on our boat were much more interested in the South American sea lions that populated the rocky cliffs and sandy beaches:

Sea Lion Beach

Here’s a view of yet another colony of female sea lions and their pups:

Mamas and Pups

The flocks of birds dotting the face of the rugged cliffs were staggering:

Peruvian Boobies

The relentless pounding of surf erodes the rocks while producing a noticeable roar:

Crashing Waves

Eventually this erosion eats away large portions of rock leaving behind caves, bridges, and other large openings while undermining entire sections of island:

Eroding Rocks

For Additional Information:

• Islas Ballestas — Wikipedia
• Islas Ballestas — Lonely Planet
• Paracas National Reserve — Wikipedia
• Paracas National Reserve — Trip Advisor
• Paracas National Reserve — Nature.org
• Ballestas Islands — Trip Advisor

Circling the Sea Lions

On this particular day we didn’t see a lot of the diversity for which Islas Ballestos is famous, but we certainly saw a lot of pinnipeds of one species — the South American sea lion.  Here is a colony of mother sea lions tending to their pups:

The Nursery

The most prevalent bird species had to be the Peruvian Booby.  They were everywhere:

Peruvian Booby

Peruvian Booby

These are the remains of an old guano mining operation:

Abandoned Guano Mine

Here are a couple of sea lions putting on a show for us:

Where’s My Flea Collar?

Snooze Time

For Additional Information:

• Islas Ballestas — Wikipedia
• Islas Ballestas — Lonely Planet
• Paracas National Reserve — Wikipedia
• Paracas National Reserve — Trip Advisor
• Paracas National Reserve — Nature.org
• Ballestas Islands — Trip Advisor