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Peru is known as a “megadiverse” country due to its rich biodiversity located in the major biomes of marine, mountain, forest, freshwater and agricultural ecosystems. The country is separated into three main biomes, with the coast and the Amazon rainforest being separated by the vast mountain range of the Andes.
Peru’s location means it receives the unusual productivity of the cold waters received from the Humboldt current. This influx of cold waters brings with it plankton and nutrients that help sustain the worlds largest fish populations. This has also led to the largest seabird colonies in the world as well as a host of marine mammals that migrate to these waters to feed or breed or that reside here permanently. In Peru you can also find 5 of the 8 sea turtle species. In the north of the country the tropical current allows the growth of ecosystems such as mangroves which are important nurseries and feeding grounds for young fish species as well as a host of others.
Despite this biodiversity, Peru has a history of few environmental protection laws and no law enforcement, as many people are disconnected or uneducated about marine mammals. There has been a decline in the fish stocks in Peruvian waters due to changing water temperatures, overfishing and the onset of an El Nino year. Many fishermen still believe marine mammals (sea-lions in particular) are responsible for this decrease and few them as competition. Attacks from fishermen using poison and hits to the head are becoming far more common every year. Penguins also suffer in Peru from getting caught as by catch in fishing nets, or taken by people for the illegal pet or meat trade. Dolphins also suffer from fishing for consumption and they have also been affected by oil exploration leading to mass strandings in the north. The increasing levels of plastic in the ocean as well as sewage drainage have affected sea turtles. ORCA continues to research all of the issues facing the aquatic animals of this country and educating people about them so the threat of human interaction will decline.
ORCA Peru's headquarters known as the South Pacific Marine Mammal Center is located in San Bartolo, 48Km south of Lima City, at the middle of the Eastern Pacific coastline. ORCA Peru works within 1200Km of coastline monitoring, rescuing and assessing marine species, helping to protect Peru’s diverse marine ecosystem.
ORCA
"Rescue, Education, Science and
Conservation
Protecting Marine Life in
the Eastern South Pacific"
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