The first stop on our journey through magical Peru - The bay of Paracas, where mystical desert meets the sea with unique island surprisingly full of life.

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Lima, Peru.

Evening before starting out trip through Peru.

Lima, Peru.

Traditional bar in Lima.

Islas Ballestas.

Candelabro de Paracas, mystical ancient geoglyph dating to 200 BCE.

Islas Ballestas.

This expansive Peruvian reserve includes the guano islands like the Ballestas and their ecosystems all along the coast from Tacna to Piura. Special legislation within the reserve permits guano mining with restrictions.

Islas Ballestas.

The sheer number of bird species found nesting on steep rock surfaces and flying between islands makes the Ballestas a top spot for birding in Peru.

Islas Ballestas.

Humboldt penguins only populate the coast of Peru and northern Chile. Living up to twenty years, these penguins eat anchovies, herring, and other fish.

Islas Ballestas.

Guanays are easy to distinguish from other cormorants because they have red circles around their eyes and white bellies.

Islas Ballestas.

Kelp gulls, also known as Dominican gulls, are the largest seagulls in the Ballestas Islands. Their bills are yellow with a red dot underneath, a marking different from other species of gulls in the islands.

Islas Ballestas.

Basking in the sunlight, swimming for fish, and occasionally performing for tour boats, chocolate-colored South American sea lions are among the most charismatic residents of the Ballestas Islands.

Islas Ballestas.

Males are huge, with giant, maned heads reminiscent of lions, and can weigh up to 770 pounds (350 kg). Females are about half the size and weight.

Islas Ballestas.

Guano Mining - Since time immemorial, seabirds have deposited their guano on the Ballestas Islands and other isles of Peru. And since the time of the Incas, this guano has been used as a fertilizer. From the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, guano became a valuable global commodity and mined extensively on Peruvian islands. Peru stuffed its coffers, but the delicate ecosystem that sustained the seabird population suffered significant damage.

Islas Ballestas.

Also inhabiting the islands are South American fur seals. Gray or tan and smaller than sea lions, fur seals prefer to lounge on rocky shores where cliffs provide shaded areas. Females are much smaller and typically weigh between 65 and 130 pounds (30 and 60 kg). Male South American fur seals weigh up to 440 pounds (200 kg).

Islas Ballestas.

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Paracas, Peru.

Peruvian pelicans can be found up and down the coast of Peru and live in the Ballestas Islands. The throat pouch is blue, unlike that of the brown pelican whose throat pouch is olive-green to red in the breeding season.