Photo Gallery

The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) in flight. It has dark plumage with a distinctive white ruff and pale stripes on its wings. It belongs to the family of New World vultures and, with a wingspan of up to three metres, is considered one of the largest flight-capable bird species in the world. Although the Andean condor is mostly associated with the high peaks of the Andes (such as the famous Colca Canyon), it actually descends regularly to the Peruvian Pacific coast. This photograph was taken on the Paracas Peninsula. In the Paracas National Reserve and along the nearby cliff-lined coast, the condors make use of the strong sea winds and updrafts along the steep cliffs to glide for kilometres without expending much energy. They are drawn there for one reason above all: the availability of food. On the coast, they feed on the carrion of beached marine mammals (such as sea lions) or the remains of seabird colonies. – 1977

The river valley of the Río Pisco forms a lush, green strip in the midst of one of the driest coastal deserts on Earth. Thanks to meltwater and rainwater from the Andes, oasis farming has been practised here successfully for thousands of years. Whilst the river’s course in its upper reaches carves deep, narrow gorges into the barren Andes mountains, the valley widens towards the coast into a broad, fertile plain before the river flows into the Pacific Ocean north of the port city of Pisco. At the various altitudes within the valley, maize, pulses, fodder crops (such as alfalfa) and fruit are grown, and livestock is reared. – 1977