Gramma Barbie Goes Global

As you pass through you make a wish….

At this angle, can you see the elephant on the right end and the mastodon on the left? This is the larger of the two islands and the one they live on during harvest.

That large black patch on the Island is thousands of birds. They are producing tons of guano….

They have built rock walls on the islands to prevent all of the guano from sliding into the sea. Once every 7 years they come out to harvest it. It takes a lot of manpower as they put the guano in the round concrete bins as they collect it then they bag it and lower it from the structure built on the side of the island into waiting boats. They live on the islands for 2 to 3 months while harvesting. The last harvest was in 2011 and you can sure tell…when you get between the islands plug your nose!

At Ballestas Islands there are lots of seal…..just for you, Kevin, animal pictures….well, not really, they are for everyone.

These cute little guys can live here all year long thanks to the cold water brought there by the Humbolt current. This current also provides the perfect environment for fish and plankton which is why this area is so popular with birds and sea lions.

This candelabra is huge and it is drawn in the sand. No one truly knows who drew it or why, but it has been around for about 2000 years. Theories range from extraterrestrials to the fisherman leaving a sign for other fishermen. How has it lasted so long, you ask. Well it does not rain here and the sand has gypsum in it that hardens when it contacts water. So how does it get in contact with water when it does not rain, you ask. Well it is right beside the ocean and water evaporates causing the air to become humid. When the night air cools it drops the moisture in the form of due and, voila, you have wet sand which then hardens. Not even the winds can move the sand after that.

It was not our guide here who explained that. My guide who took me to fly over the Nazca Lines explained that when I mentioned that I had seen the candelabra. She also wanted to know how my guide there had explained the candelabra. She said the most believed theory is that it was a sign for the fishermen.

At the very bottom of this picture are two seals also after the fish in the net….