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The Paracas National Reserve is located 50 km west of the city of Ica. It was founded in 1975 and is the only marine reserve in Peru.
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| Paracas National Reserve Ica |
The purpose of its organization was to preserve marine ecosystems and characteristic formations of coastal tropical semi-deserts, as well as to protect the historical heritage of the Paracas culture, whose representatives lived here before the arrival of the Incas.
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| Paracas National Reserve Ica |
Land occupies about 35% of the reserve, and the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean - the remaining 65%. Due to the cold current, the solubility of oxygen in the coastal waters of the park increases, as a result of which conditions are created that contribute to the development of plankton here, which is food for various other species of inhabitants - dolphins, squids, mollusks, turtles.
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| Paracas National Reserve Ica |
There are also about 250 types of algae. The coast is practically devoid of vegetation due to the extreme dryness of the climate, but numerous bird colonies nest here. But the most interesting place for tourists are the Ballestas Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean opposite the part of the Paracas National Reserve, located on land.
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| Paracas National Reserve Ica |
These rocky islands are home to seals, Humboldt penguins, pelicans, gannets, Inca terns and cormorants.