Oh what a trip! Yesterday we drove a couple of hours north to explore a marine park we had heard much about, and for good reason. The Humboldt Penguin National Reserve lies on three offshore islands and, as the name implies, is the home of the cute little penguins called Humboldt, a sister species of the Magellan Penguin, the only type of penguin that does not live in the icy waters of the Antarctic. As an aside, the water off these islands might as well be in the Antarctic, because the aptly named icy Humboldt current runs right along their shore, and although the few beaches look inviting, I would not advise anyone to swim there.
Unfortunately, we were not aware that the Bird Flu has all but wiped out the entire population, and not only the penguins. Albatross, pelicans, vultures, seagulls, cormorants, and several other species have died by the thousands in the last couple of years. Humboldt penguins used to number over a million in Chile and Peru, with hundreds of thousands on these three islands alone. Now, you are lucky to spot one or two. They say that at the top of the hills there might be several nesting, but no one knows for sure, because the place is off limits other than to scientists.
On the way there we drove through enticing desert scenery. A sign alerted us to beware of wildlife, and we did see a couple of cute little foxes.
On the return leg we also came upon a Vicuña that wanted to cross the road. We assume that we will be seeing a lot more in the days to come.
A small boat took us to the islands, and luck would have it that at one point a school of eight bottlenose dolphins spotted us and swam right alongside our vessel for about half an hour. You could almost touch them. It was wonderful, and we are told also very rare.
The islands were dramatic. All covered in Guano from the millions of birds that, sigh, used to live here until just a couple of years ago.
It appears however that slowly, the population is beginning to increase again. At the height of the bird flu pandemic, none of the birds were nesting, but now they are, and it bodes well for the future. We spotted about a dozen penguins, surprisingly all in groups of three, as well as several other bird species.
Sea lions also live on these shores, and they can be seen resting on the rocks, having been washed upon them by the huge waves.
Only on the island of Damas, the few tourists are allowed to go ashore, but subject to several restrictions, like not straying from the path provided. It was both amazing and sad. Several deceased birds could be seen throughout the incredible landscape, but hundreds of healthy-looking seagulls were nesting among the cacti. There were babies everywhere, there were mothers sitting on their eggs, and empty nests with eggs in them. In a way we were reminded of our trip to the Galapagos, only the species were different.
Driving back, we were treated to a dramatic event that happens here on a daily basis, when the cold air from the ocean collides with the hot and dry desert air. The mountains closest to shore get inundated with puffy clouds that cascade down their slopes all the way to the ground. Trust me, it’s a spectacle that no picture can do justice to.
We returned to our hotel quite late, and I was too pooped to write my blog for the day. Also, by the time we got back, my face had turned puffy and beet red from the wind and the sun on the boat. I woke up this morning with a very puffy left eye. I must be more careful, but I swear, I never felt as though I was being burned to a crisp.
I am writing this blog from the town of Copiaco’. We arrived here after a drive of several hours. We are still driving northward, and have now officially entered the great Atacama Desert, the world’s driest warm desert. The only other piece of land that gets less rain than the Atacama is Antarctica.
We are looking forward to the next several days in the Atacama region, and hopefully we’ll be taking several nice photographs. In the meantime, we hope you have enjoyed this batch. Ciao!
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