The Paracas National Reserve (340,000 hectares) was established in 1975 and is important for the protection of both bird life on the Paracas Peninsula and marine life in the sea. The Reserve is about 15km south from Pisco. The Islas Ballestas (Ballestas Islands) are spectacular islands with many caves and arches, which provide shelter for thousands of seabirds and sea-lions. Although the islands fall just outside the Paracas National Reserve they are protected by separate legislation. The islands are home to over 150 species of marine bird including the Humboldt penguin, cormorants, boobies and pelicans. Even condors have been known to visit. On the shores can be seen large numbers of sea-lions and in the sea it is possible to encounter dolphins and even whales. The Paracas National Reserve area played an important role in the Peruvian economy during the mid-nineteenth century. Large amounts of "guano" (birds' droppings) produced by the seabirds was gathered and exported to Europe for use as fertilizer. For many decades this industry was Peru's most important source of revenue. Remanants of this industry can still be seen upon the islands. The Paracas peninsula also gave birth to the Paracas Culture, known for its pottery, textile and mummies. The Paracas people formed a well-developed culture from about 1300 BC until 200 AD, long time before the Inca. In Paracas there is also the Candelabra or "Candelabro", a giant figure etched into a hill, similar to the Nazca Lines. Nobody knows who made this drawing or what it means. Although it is called the "candelabra", the candle, it probably represents a cactus. Visitors are not allowed onto the islands but the views of wildlife from the boats are excellent. The tours also pass the "Candelabro"; which is a 50 m long candelabra - shape traced onto a desert hillside overlooking the sea. The only way for the tourist to get to the Islas Ballestas is by taking an organised tour (there are many agencies in Pisco and Paracas). The tours are inexpensive costing about $10 - 15 US and comprise a speedboat trip accompanied by a guide for about 2 hours. The boats depart between 08:00 and 10:30 AM from the fishing jetty at El Chaco Port near the village of Paracas. Sea Bird Guano And The Ballestas Islands: Guano was widely used by the native populations of pre-Spanish Latin America for centuries as a fertilizer to increase crop yields. However, it was not until the early 1800s that guano was rediscovered by the Europeans to have valuable agricultural benefits as a fertilizer. The best source of guano was discovered on a series of islands off the coast of Peru which are barren and rocky with no vegetation due to lack of rain in the area. Peru's primary guano islands are the Chinchas, the Ballestras, the Lobos, and the Macabi and Guanape islands. Peru's guano was considered to be the best for farming. Guano is made up of bird droppings amassed over hundreds of years due to weather and ocean currents. What distinguished Peru's guano from guano found at other sources around the world was due to the unique weather conditions found along Peru's coast. Because of the Humboldt or Peruvian Current, which flows cold water from Antarctica to the equator along Peru's coast, this creates an interesting weather pattern where the cold water and warm air prevents the fall of rain in this part of the world. Due to the lack of rain on the islands along Peru's coast, the accumulated bird droppings are baked in the dry atmosphere which preserves the nitrates in those droppings from evaporating, thus maintaining its effectiveness. Another factor that made guano an effective fertilizer was that its contents originated from fish-eating birds. Remnants of the guano industry can be seen on the Ballestas Islands and some modern day factories can be seen on other islands in the area. We visited the Ballestas Islands on April 13, 2006 at about 8:15 AM.

The "Candelabra" Of Paracas
Sea Lion Colony, Otaria byronia; On Ballestas Islands
Sea Lion Colony, Otaria byronia; On Ballestas Islands

This Man And His Friends Peruvian Pelican, Pelecanus thagus	Played All Over The Beach Peruvian Pelican, Pelecanus thagus
El Chaco Port We Wait For Our Boat Here	El Chaco Port There Will Soon Be A Crowd
Saint Peter Saint Of Fishermen	Franklin's Gull, Larus pipixcan Winters In Peru
Tour Boats Start To Arrive	Tour Boats Start To Arrive
Tourist Shops	Tourist Shops
Our Taxi	Our Driver And His Daughter
George Is Ready To Go!	Audrey Too!
We Are On Our Way!	Many Ships Docked Here!
Wow! We See The "Candelabra" Of Paracas	Wow! We See The "Candelabra" Of Paracas
We See Thousands Of Sea Birds	More Sea Birds Everywhere!
Red - Legged Cormorant - Chuitas Phalacrocorax gaimardi	Red - Legged Cormorant - Chuitas Phalacrocorax gaimardi
Guanay Cormorant Phalacrocorax bougainvillii	Guanay Cormorant Phalacrocorax bougainvillii
Peruvian Booby, Sula variegata	Peruvian Booby, Sula variegata
Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus humbolldti	Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus humbolldti
Incan Terns - Zarcillos Larosterna inca	Incan Terns - Zarcillos Larosterna inca
Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura	Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura
Sea lion, Otaria byronia	Sea lion, Otaria byronia
Sea Lion Colony, Otaria byronia	Sea Lion Colony, Otaria byronia
Sea Lions Playing	Sea Lions Sun Bathing
South American Fur Seal Arctocephalus australis	South American Fur Seal Arctocephalus australis
Ballestas Island	Ballestas Island
Ballestas Island	Ballestas Island
Guano Industry Remnants	Guano Industry Remnants
Guano Industry Remnants	Guano Industry Remnants
A Last View Of The Islands	And We Head For Home
El Chaco Port Is In The Distance	There It Is!
Guano Fertilizer Ship	At A Neighboring Island
An Exclusive Home Area	We Meet Other Tour Boats
We See The Tourist Area	Ballestas Island Tour Boats Unloading