These are a group of islands that lay just of the coast from Lima and are accessed by boat from Callao (the main port for Lima). The journey to circumnavigate the islands takes about 4 hours.
We set of in the usual Lima weather – low cloud windy and slightly cold. We board the ferry boat that will take us out to the Motor Launch that will take us out to the islands As we travel out, the Guide points out the wave breaking over the shallows and explains that during an earthquake in the 1700’s the land mass sank and what were seeing was the tops of the hills, now under water, causing the wave to break in this unusual manner.
As we neared the first island, the largest of the islands – San Lorenzo, the Guide explains that under the Spanish it was used as a penal colony. All that can be seen are the remains of the buildings.
We continue our journey looking at various seabirds and for me watching the amazing change in the geology of the islands. As we round the Island of Callao, a small island just of the SW tip of San Lornezo, we begin to feel the effect of the Pacific swell which was probably about 6 feet giving a distinct yaw to the motion of the boat.
We make our way to the Palamino islands where we will encounter the seal colony and where, if so desired you can swim with the seals. After a quick circumnavigation the skipper heads of to a small colony of penguins before continuing around the northerly point of San Lorenzo. Without realising it the sun has come very strong and we put sun cream on but too late to stop us looking like lobsters.
In the distance we see a couple of dolphins jumping but they are gone by the time we arrive.
The journey back to Callao is uneventful apart from the occasional curious seal and the ever present fishing Gannets.
Pelican
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