Ballestas Islands
The Ballesta Islands lie a short distance off the Peruvian coast south of Lima, and we made a trip to see them on a speedboat which in itself was a fun trip over occasionally choppy waters.
On the way to the islands themselves we passed the candelabra, a pattern etched into the sand and rock of a small island not far off the coast. The guide wasn´t overly helpful in explaining its origins - he said it might be pre-Incan, or a symbol used by Spanish sailors to navigate the waters, or even a mark made by the Masons in the 1800´s. So anybody´s guess really!
Then we reached the islands and circled around them in the boat for a good length of time, These islands are a paradise for birds, including a huge number of pelicans and a few rare penguins, and a large colony of sea lions all of which could be seen really close. We were told that the only time anyone goes onto the island is to collect the huge amount of droppings that collect on the islands (now totally white as a result) every 7 years. Otherwise the animals are left to themselves, and can just admire the daily tourist visits.
On the way back we were lucky to spot dolphins swimming beside our boat - in all,a great wildlife spotting experience!
