Pelagics from Callao, Lima, Peru

Kolibri Expeditions run pelagic birdwatching trips (see below) and whale- and dolphin watching trips since 2000. We are the only operators of these trips from Lima.

MEGAPELAGICS

November is peak season for the migration of Humpback Whales off Lima. But it is also the month when we have seen a possibly undescribed form of Pygmy Blue Whale. We saw this form in November 2007 and it is known from Peruvian waters previously. See this article on Ocean Wanderers by Hadoram Shirihay. Mike Danzenbaker photographed this individual on our pelagic on Nov 17, 2007

In Peruvian waters there is also a pygmy form of Finwhale, which Gunnar Engblom documented in his Spanish blog LimaSafaris in 2007. Together with Dr Koen van Waerebeck, there is a paper in press regarding this finding.

We recently made a fantastic pelagic on board a new ship available in Lima. It is an 18 m catamaran, that gives a great platform for bird and whale watching.

With a  5.30 AM start and return to shore at 9.30 PM we shall 4 hours longer time in deep water going to 45 nautical miles  We shall return via Hormigas islets to see sealions some 30 nmiles from Callao and right on the edge of the shelf.

It shall be combined whale and birdwatching and with many experts on seabirds and cetaceans from all around the world. We have several people already lined up.

As an additional draw we shall make a concerted effort to try to see the recently described Peruvian Beaked Whale. The person that can capture one on a photo will get a free 2 week birding trip with Kolibri Expeditions if allowing Kolibri to use the photos. ¡

Price for the megapelagic including food and drinks is 200 US  Breakfast, lunch and snacks included throughout the trip.

Dates 2009:

Oct, 10 25

Nov 15

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Here follows the info about our regular pelagics.

The boat
We use the boat Melusine - a 40 feet yacht. 

• Food and drinks are offered through-out the trip at no extra cost.
• The yacht is fully equipped with toilets and kitchenette, as well as a shady area in the back.
• Life vests are available
• Radio, cell-phones, emergency rockets.
• The boat can take up to 25 people.

Whale and Dolphin Watching:
From November 2006, we have started offering separate whale- and dolphin watching trips to about 20-25 nautical miles lasting 6 hours, and we pass the sea-lion colony of Palomino and the Penguins of Kawinza on the return.
The results from these trips are very promising and the benefits many:

• 6 hours is more bearable for people that may suffer from seasickness. 
• therefore it is also more apt for kids and elderly people
• And with only 6 hours of sea you shall have half the day free for other activities.
• No smelly chum -that makes you seasick (see below).
• Cost is lower: Only 100 US$, while the full day pelagic costs 150 US$

However, there are a few drawbacks:

• There is no "chum" used, and this is of course a draw-back for the birders and sea-bird photographers. The birders are best off going on the full day pelagic (see below) that both carry chum and goes put to the deep waters at 35 nmiles. Having said this, we do see a lot of pelagic bird species also on these trips.

Humpback Whales have been spotted regularly in November, February-March and July.
Sperm Whales in September
Blue Whale in December, February and July.
Bryde''''''''''''''''s and other whale species such as Sei and Fin may be resident so there is always a chance of seeing whales.

Sequence of Humpback Whale breaching on Pelagic from Callao - November 2006. Photo: Gunnar Engblom

Dolphins can be seen anytime of year and are seen on 80% of the outings. We see Dusky Dolphin, Common Dolphin or Bottle-nosed Dolphin on almost every trip. Recently we have also spotted Burmeister''''''''''''''''s Porpoise, Risso''''''''''''''''s Dolphin and Orca (very rare in Peruvian waters). Also once an unidentified beak whale (September 2006).

The combined prospect of success of seeing Cetaceans (whales or dolphins) on these trips, allow us to give a whale or dolphin guarantee.
If you do not see a whale or dolphin on the 6 hour trip, you may join any other pelagic for free until you spot one - or receive a 30 % refund.

Full day Pelagic
- for birdwatchers principally (11 hours), but also for those that want more possibility of encounter cetaceans. We will stop for whales and dolphins en route - and meanwhile do a bit of chumming to also attract seabirds.

Advantages:

• We reach deeper waters of some 1400m depth at 35nmiles. It is often essential for Markham''''''''''''''''s and Ringed Storm-Petrels to go this far.
• More hours at sea and we see more, including cetaceans as the transect is longer. 
• Chumming: We make a gue of old fish left-overs, oil and pop-corn. Yes it smells and that is the idea. The tube-noses have acute sense of smell. When chumming the boat gets surrounded by Storm Petrels. It is not unusual to have over 100 Storm-Petrels of 5 species around us at one time. Also the Waved and Salvin''''''''''''''''s Albatross come in to the chum

Disadvantages:

• 11 hours makes it a very long day. The boat is slow. Only 8 knots in average.
• We always get some people that get seasick. Especially, those that chose to sit in the shade in the back, where the chumming and the diesel fumes are more concentrated. Best to sit in the front.
• We do go out with more sea, so it can be quite rocky sometimes. Having said this - the Pacific (in Peru) is less stormy than many other classical pelagic ports. We very rarely get very strong winds, so when we have waves they are most often far between. We very rarely have to cancel a trip with the yacht due to bad weather or too high waves.
• Near the islands we can not get as close to the rocky shores as we would like. This means for the Penguins and Seaside Cinclodes the views are mostly quite distant.
• No whale or dolphin guarantee, since the main purpose is seeing birds. On some occasions however we may offer whale and dolphin guarantee to locals in order to get enough participants to run the trip.

The deep sea Pelagics can be run any time of year. Different seasons give different birds. We found July particularly good when over 100 albatrosses were seen in 2001 of at least five species (with White-capped Albatross being a new species for Peru). July 2002 produced two sightings of what appeared to be Short-tailed Sheerwater (new to Peru) and Brown Skua. September was also very good with three new species for Peru (Brown Skua, (2001) Northern Giant Petrel (2002), and Polynesian Storm-Petrel (2001)). Other great birds we see frequently include Sooty Shearwater, Cape Petrel, Markham´s, Hornby´s, White-vented, Wilson´s and Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels, Swallow-tailed and Sabine´s Gulls, Waved, Gray-headed, Black-browed and Salvin´s Albatrosse, Peruvian Diving-Petrel, Chilean and South Polar Skuas, Southern Fulmar (September and November 2002) and White-chinned, Cook´s (Nov 2002), Westland Petrel (several sight records. Photographed February 2003), Buller''''''''''''''''s Shearwater (Dec 2005, Feb, March April and June 2005) and Buller''''''''''''''''s Albatross (Nov 2005, Sep and Nov 2006).

The yacht is 40 feet long and allows 21 birders on board, who will occupy the bow for best views. For larger groups we will charter the Catamaran. If we don´t fill the boat, there will be room for Peruvian residents to join, who will mainly enjoy the possibility of catching glimpses of marine mammals, but pay a lower price. This allows us to cover operational costs in case the birders are too few to carry the full expense of the boat. We guarantee a trip with minimum of 6 birders since we often can find locals to join, but have occasionally run the trip with less paying birders than that. Especially, if the people who have signed up for a pelagic are doing other trips with us - we will move mountains to organize a pelagic for our own clients. Be prepared that there may be a surcharge involved if we do not get locals to fill up the boat. The surcharge is max 100 US$.

Date	Space Booked	Route	Tot spaces	Sign
2008
October 15	16	Full day Pelagic from Callao	20
November 26	0	Pelagic from Punta Sal	14
December 19	0	Pelagic - Full day	40
December 30	0	Pelagic from Punta Sal, Tumbes	14
2009
March 5	0	Pelagic from Punta Sal, Tumbes	14
March 18	2	Pelagic from Punta Sal, Tumbes	14
April 18	2	Pelagic from Lima	40
June 14	0	Pelagic from Lima, Callao.	7
June 27	25	Pelagic birding from Callao, Lima	30
July 31	3	Pelagic from Callao	40
August 8	11	Pelagic from Callao	40
August 26	1	Pelagic birding trip from la Punta Callao	21
October 10	9	PELAGIC FROM CALLAO	25
October 25	8	Pelagic birding from Callao	40
November 15	2	Pelagic and Whale-watching. Full Day since La Punt	25

Price for whalewatching is 100 US$ and the price for the full day pelagic is 135 US$. To find out whether a trip is a full pelagic or Whale-watching, take a look in the calendar.

We need minimum 10 full paying people to run the trip at these price.  We can still run the trip with less people, but be prepared to pay surcharges if we don''''''''''''''''t get enough people for the minimum. If you only have one date available for your pelagic, we suggest that we list this date in the calendar and this way try to get others to join.

Contact us for prices for kids or residents in Peru.