| Off the coast of Peru are hundreds of wild dolphins. | | | | looking for dolphins. An English speaking guide is |
| You don't get to swim with them, that would be | | | | provided too. |
| contrary to the Dolphin Conservation Project run by | | | | Most days will involve encounters with dolphins, though |
| Mundo Azul. However you can get to find them and | | | | occasionally there will be none. The pods range from a |
| photograph them. | | | | small family of two dolphins with a youngster to larger |
| Mundo Azul run a volunteer project from the Paracas | | | | pods of 65 animals. Cameras are quickly retrieved |
| National Reserve, 250 kms south of the capital Lima, | | | | from the safety of a locker on board and with great |
| and Pucusana, a small fishing village closer to Lima. | | | | skill and sensitivity, the driver manoeuvres his boat to |
| The project's aim is to photograph and identify as | | | | the best vantage point. |
| many of the coastal dolphins as possible. Dolphins still | | | | Watching a huge pod of these graceful creatures surf |
| make it into the human food chain in some parts of | | | | the waves, playing and feeding is fascinating but when |
| Peru. | | | | they ride the bough wave that's something else - |
| Dolphin identification is no easy task. It requires a | | | | definitely not to be missed. The females with young |
| lightning reflex, a steady hand, and a great camera. Not | | | | keep themselves at a distance and it is usually the |
| to mention getting your sea-legs first. It means taking | | | | males that visit the boat, almost it seems to distract |
| hundreds of photos of their fins and cataloguing them | | | | your attention from the youngsters. |
| according to shape, markings and nicks in them. | | | | People do watch the dolphins from the beaches, they |
| Presently this is done by eye, recognition software | | | | come that close. Two great beaches for viewing are |
| being prohibitively expensive. | | | | at Asia Island, one of the many guano islands near |
| This is complicated by the fact that these may change | | | | Pucusana and from Punta Negra beach. |
| over time and from season to season too. Many of | | | | In Paracas, the water is much shallower and calmer |
| the Paracas Dolphins have been identified and named | | | | and the dolphins are mostly seen nose-down tail up. I |
| during the course of the project. Their photos are | | | | doubt however, that the guests staying at the luxury |
| published in a leaflet freely available in the area. | | | | 4-star hotel were even aware of how close these |
| For the duration of the project, usually around 4 | | | | amazing creatures were as they ate their breakfasts. |
| weeks, daily coastal patrols in the Pacific Ocean, mean | | | | Don't have the time to commit to 4 weeks? Then |
| an early morning start. The small boat from Pucusana, | | | | seek out the shorter tours and combine it with your |
| or an inflatable from the beautiful bay of Paracas, | | | | sightseeing at Nascar and Ica. |
| along with its Peruvian driver scours the coastline | | | | |