Isla Lobos De Tierra, Peru Cruise Port

Isla Lobos de Tierra is an island about 12 miles off the Peruvian coast which straddles the boundary between Piura and the Lambayeque regions. It’s also considered part of the Guano Islands, a near-continuous chain of land patches that stretch from Chile to Peru. In the mid-nineteenth century, scientists estimated that the island had roughly seven million metric tons of guano deposits. While that estimation was a slight overshot, the supply is almost non-existent today because of overmining of the product for centuries. Now, despite the island being practically barren, it’s known for its rich biodiversity and the thousands of colonies of birds that reside, nest and mate there. The island itself is steep, rigid and rocky; its highest point stands more than 200 feet above the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Because of its uniquely high altitude, many marine animals find solace on and around the island.

• The marine animals occupying the island include sea lions and smaller seals, while lucky visitors might have the opportunity to view a majestic blue whale up close.
   
• The birds are much more abundant than the mammals, and include kelp gulls, three types of boobies, cormorants and Peruvian pelicans.
   
• Lobos de Afuera is Lobos de Tierra’s sister island and shares many of the same attributes as its neighbor. On an average tour around these islands, tourists have twice as good a chance of observing the aquatic life when viewing both islands.
   
• While most tours around the island are guided by professionals, there is also a limited number of private sailing vessels allowed near the islands with proper permitting and advance permission.