Humboldt Penguin confirmed 28 days ago

Islas Ballestas

Paracas · Peru

The Islas Ballestas are a cluster of rocky islands teeming with one of the densest concentrations of marine wildlife on the South American Pacific coast, earning their reputation as the poor man's Galapagos. Below the waterline, the Humboldt Current delivers cold, oxygen-rich water that supports vast schools of Peruvian anchoveta, which in turn sustain sea lions, penguins, and the occasional hammerhead shark. The rock arch formations and kelp forests create a dramatic underwater landscape where every surface is colonised by sea stars, anemones, and encrusting invertebrates.

Conditions

Depth

5 to 28 m

Open water and up

Current

Often strong

Can pick up on the edge

Visibility

12 to 22 m

Clearest in the calm season

Water

13 to 21°C

7mm wetsuit or drysuit

Month by month

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Water (°C)	17	17	18	18	16	14	13	13	14	15	16	17
Vis (m)	8	8	10	10	10	12	12	12	12	10	8	8
Current	Moderate	Moderate	Gentle	Gentle	Moderate	Moderate	Strong	Strong	Strong	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate