Islas Ballestas
| Islas Ballestas | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Waters | Pacific Ocean |
| Geographical location | 13 ° 44 ′ S , 76 ° 24 ′ W |
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| Number of islands | 3 |
| Total land area | 0.12 km² |
The Islas Ballestas are an archipelago in the district of Paracas of Pisco Province in the Ica region in Peru . It is located about 20 kilometers west of the city of Pisco and 300 kilometers south of the capital Lima in the Pacific .
The archipelago consists of the three islands Ballestas Norte, Ballestas Centro and Ballestas Sur (also Isla Piedra Redonda) and several small rocks.
fauna
The rocky islands are home to a large number of guano- producing seabirds:
- Humboldt penguin ( Spheniscus humboldti ),
- Guanocormorant ( Phalacrocorax bougainvillii ),
- Inca tern ( Larosterna inca ),
- Chile pelican ( Pelecanus thagus ),
- Guano booby ( Sula variegata ),
- Northern rock bank wipper ( Cinclodes taczanowskii )
About 180 species of fish live in the islands' waters.
South American fur seals , maned seals and 10 species of dolphins are native to mammals .
natural reserve
The islands are a well-known tourist attraction in Peru. They belong to the protected area Reserva nacional Sistema de Islas, Islotes y Puntas Guaneras , which comprises various spatially separated guano islands and coastal sections , which is administered by the Servicio nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado (SERNANP). The protected area was created by Decree 024-2009-MINAM on December 31, 2009. It comprises 22 islands and 11 habitats of guano birds on the coast in the coastal section from Piuara to Moquegua on a total area of 140,833.47 hectares. To the south of the islands is the Reserva nacional de Paracas protected area .
photos
Maned seals
Humboldt penguins
Chile pelicans
Rock gate with seals
South American fur seals
