UJ#5 Paracas

RESERVE OF LIFE
White Egret
(Egretta thula)
THE PARACAS NATURAL RESERVE IS AN AREA OF ABOUT 113 SQUARE MILES WHERE THE DESERT MEETS THE OCEAN IN AN
EXPLOSION OF LIFE. ALMOST ONE THIRD OF THE RESERVE IS DESERT THAT, MILLIONS OF YEAR AGO, WAS UNDER THE PACIFIC
OCEAN UNTIL THE NASCA AND SOUTH AMERICAN PLATES COLLIDED AND THE ANDES MOUNTAINS WERE BORN.
In this ancient territory characterized by beautiful geological
formations created from water and wind, one can still find
fossils of the whales and dinosaurs that once populated the
region. There also are close to 100 archaeological sites left by the
Paracas and Nasca people, both of whom developed societies
based on agriculture, fishing and shellfish collecting. Their
remains attest to societies able to adapt to their environment.
Without doubt, it is the cold, Humboldt Current, densely
inhabited by plankton, that constitutes the base for the complex
food chain that allows a variety of sea animals - from penguins
to whales – to flourish. There are 216 species of birds, between
resident and migratory, 36 mammals, 10 reptile species and
168 species of fish in the Paracas Reserve, making it the most
bio diverse coastal area in Peru. Maybe the most surprising
animal that makes an occasional appearance over the desert is
the condor. Periodically, condors fly down to the coast from the
Andes to hunt for marine life. That said, the animals most seen
are foxes, sea lions, penguins, pelicans, seagulls, Inca tern,
guanay cormorant and Andean flamingo, which have white
bodies and red wings, inspiring José de San Martín, who led
Peru`s War of Independence, to create the Peruvian flag.
points along the Peruvian coast where birds congregate and
guano is produced in large amounts. In the end of the 19th
Century, Peruvian guano exportation made economic history
for the country. Unfortunately, is also led to the environmental
destruction of many coastal areas. Today, thanks to the creation
of the Reserve, an effort is being made to find a balance between
conservation and the extraction of this important resource,
creating a sustainable business for Peruvians that also respects
the area’s ecological health.
The Paracas National Reserve represents a breath of fresh air
in the face of human development and the growth of cities. The
Reserve allows visitors a chance for an up close look at the
desert, the ocean, the sky and their inhabitants; and, with each
gust of wind, it reminds us that once in the distant past all of
this was untouched.
One of the most popular tourist sites in Paracas are the
Ballestas Islands, a group of small islands where a variety of
birds live among a large sea lion colony. The Ballestas also are
a part of the National Reserve of Islands and Guano Points,
a conservation Project that includes 22 small islands and 11
50%
OVER 50% OF ALL SEA
LIONS IN PERU LIVES IN
THE PARACAS NATIONAL
RESERVE.
Above: View of San Gallan Island, one of
the Reserve’s important areas known for
its biodiversity.
Left: Red-Legged Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax gaimardi) with its chick.
Right: Guanay Cormorants are the best
producers of guano, a highly valued,
agricultural fertilizer.
Opposite page: The Peruvian Pelican
reproduces on islands close to the coast
that are bathed in the cold waters of the
Humboldt Current.