"During the first half of December 1997 and the second week of January 1998, I traveled along 370 Km of coastline in southern Peru, from Punta Atico to Morro Sama. The trip was supported by IMARPE (Instituto del Mar del Peru) to carry out the annual census of the population of South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis). Besides counting and sighting fur seals, my friend biologist Alberto Bertolero and I took rough notes about weather, fishing, and the number, mortality and breeding status of seabirds. Notes about birds were taken in the morning (0600-0900). Counts were carried out from the mainland and when this was not possible they were made from a boat.

Also, from the last week of December onwards I evaluated the effect of the ongoing El Nino on Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) and other seabirds at Punta San Juan, Peru. The data at Punta San Juan were also collected by my friends biologists Rosana Paredes (Humboldt penguins and Band-tailed gulls) and Gabriella Battistini (Inca terns).

Location of places mentioned in the text are listed below. I briefly summarize what we have seen over the last few weeks:

WEATHER: At present, light but persistent rains are occurring sporadically in Tacna, Ilo, Atico and Chala. Air temperatures increased up to 33oC in Ilo and Tacna in Jan 5. SST (sea surface temperature) was 22-23oC, above 6-7oC the average. Between Atico and Chala I could see huge areas (about 100 of coastline) covered by small vegetation, which were absent in the last 10 years. Farmers from the Andes and Lima are bringing thousands of cows and goats to this areas for grazing. Sea was very rough during the first week of December and January, but without economic consequences. At Punta San Juan, the SST anomaly arose up to 7oC (22-23oC) the first week of January.

FISHERIES: No fishmeal factory in the south was processing anchovies in December and January because these fish were not available to the purse-seine fishery. In Jan 4 I counted 100-120 purse-seine boats in the port of Ilo. Only five departed the night before my arrival (Jan 5) and came back empty. In almost all artisanal fishing ports in the south, the landings of the fish El Dorado , Perico or Common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) was high. In some localities, such as Ilo, fishermen spend only a few hours to capture them, showing that these fish are inshore.

SEABIRDS 1) Guanay cormorants or guanayes (Phalacrocorax boungainvilli) ATICO-MORRO SAMA We estimated only between 5000 to 6000 guanay cormorants. Although we could not reach La Chira (a guano bird headland), the keeper told us that around 1 Ha of birds (about 150 000) were present since the first week of December. In all these areas cormorants were not breeding. Between Camana and Quilca, we found about 1000-1500 guanayes resting in a vertical cliff, which had been empty in past years. In this area we counted between 30 to 40 dead cormorants along 500 m. PUNTA SAN JUAN A small group of guanayes (less than 100) began to breed in October 1997, but eggs were deserted in November. The maximum number of guanayes seen was 75 000 birds between October and December. On Jan 15 we counted only 300-500 cormorants. In Oct-Nov 1996 the population reached 400 000-450 000 birds, with 20 000-30 000 active nests. By analyzing pellets we could determine that guanayes are currently feeding inshore on fish living in rocky substrate instead of their traditional food (pelagic schooling fish) such as anchovies (Engraulis ringens), silversides (Odonthestes regia) and 'camotillos' (Normanicthys crockeri). 2) Peruvian boobies or piqueros (Sula variegata) ATICO-MORRO SAMA Boobies were more dispersed than cormorants. We estimated between 55 000 and 60 000, with the highest number in Punta Coles (50 000-60 000 birds) on Dec 5. However, when I came back to this headland on Jan 4, there were only 1000-1500 birds. Boobies were not seen nesting. We saw very thin birds and many carcasses on beaches everywhere. PUNTA SAN JUAN The number of boobies have decreased from 1500 in Oct-Nov to near 300 birds in Jan 4. The population increased slightly on Jan 15 to 1500-2000 birds. They were not seen nesting. Over the last 6 years we have seen a small islet in front of the headland, which was always full of boobies nesting between Oct-Feb. Now this islet is empty. Starving birds and hundreds of carcasses are found within the reserve. 3) Blue-footed boobies (Sula nebouxi) PUNTA SAN JUAN-MORRO SAMA We found a group of 10-15 adults in Punta Atico and 10 birds (between adults and juveniles) at Punta San Juan. The birds found in Atico had extended their normal post-breeding dispersal range more than 1300-1400 Km south (in Peru they breed in Isla Lobos de Tierra). 4) Inca terns (Larosterna inca) PUNTA ATICO-MORRO SAMA Terns were difficult to count. In December we saw flocks of some thousands (no more than 4000) mainly in Cocotea and Islay. Few birds (less than 200) were found in Punta Coles, Punta Atico and Punta San Juan. Probably the whole population count did not exceed 10 000 birds. PUNTA SAN JUAN Inca terns began to breed in the last week of September, but they deserted their eggs and small chicks in October and November. In December only a few terns were seen resting in cliffs. In January we counted about 50 terns, and some of them were starving on beaches and easily preyed upon by Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura jota) and Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus). 5) Peruvian pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis thagus) PUNTA-SAN JUAN MORRO SAMA Pelicans were uncommon. The largest group of pelicans counted was in Cocotea with only 300 birds. In other sites they were almost absent. However, they were common in fishing terminals. In the fishing port of Ilo, about 100 pelicans were scavenging on discarded fish. In ports and markets of Lima they are also common. They were not breeding and we estimated a maximum population of 500 birds. 6) Peruvian gulls (Larus belcheri) MAINLY PUNTA SAN JUAN These gulls are always common along the coast of Peru. They were breeding in Punta Coles, Punta Atico and Punta San Juan. By December they were incubating eggs. During the first week of January we saw some small chicks and eggs.

Total breeding failure was found at Punta San Juan in January. Egg laying was delayed one week. Chicks hatched from the last week of December, but all died few days after, due to starvation. Flocks of some hundreds were seen eating dead sea urchins, sea cucumbers, sea lion feces, but this is a normal foraging behavior. 7) Kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) PUNTA COLES They were breeding in this guano-bird reserve, which is the only continental colony that I know in the southern coast of Peru (there is another in La Vieja island). In December we found a couple of nests with eggs and in January we found other nests with eggs and small chicks. At Punta San Juan, they were seen feeding mainly on sea lions carcasses. 8) Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) PUNTA SAN JUAN Penguins began to breed in April 1997. In June, when SST anomalies rose 4°C, chicks increased weight at a lower rate and duration of foraging trips of adults was longer than in other years. In September, pairs began to breed for a second time, which is their normal breeding strategy, but a heavy rain flooded their nests and eggs were lost (mainly those nesting in open-scrapes). Penguins re-laid a third clutch during the first week of October and eggs hatched at the middle of November. They increased weight normally until the end of December, when most of the adults began the annual molt.

All nests with chicks were deserted during the first week of January and are currently dying of starvation (we estimated around 300-350 dead chicks between 1-15 Jan). At present all adults are molting. In Jan 4 we counted 636 molting adults within Punta San Juan. Coppelia Hays counted about 1000 in January 1983. In April 1997 we counted 1800 breeding pairs and about 1000 non-breeders. The low number in January 98 may be a normal trend as many birds are foraging at sea before coming ashore to molt. Also, adults may be migrating to other places (probably to Chile), or they could be dying of starvation.

I did not see high numbers or migration waves of penguins south to Punta San Juan. A group of about 300 penguins were counted at Hornillos and another 100 birds in Cocotea in Dec 97, but in Dec 96 I counted similar numbers. Almost 50% of the 400 penguins counted in Dec 97 were juveniles (1 year old), a surprising number when we saw only 2 at Punta San Juan. Dead penguins on beaches were uncommon. I could not see one over the last three months in the southern coast. So, we think that the low numbers of penguins found at Punta San Juan are due to a high proportion of penguins foraging at sea. Numbers may increase in the next few weeks. The impact of the ongoing El Nino on adult penguins will be seen in March and April when the molt is over and penguins will come ashore to breed." Lobo de Tierra 06º28'S, 80º50'W Lima 12º11'S, 77º02'W Punta San Juan 15º22'S, 75º12'W Chala 15º49'S, 74º51'W Atico 16º14'S, 73º41'W La Chira 16º29'S, 73º02''W Quilca 16º42'S, 73º26'W Hornillos 16º52'S, 72º17'W Islay 17º00'S, 71º31'W Cocotea 70 south to Islay Punta Coles 17º42'S, 71º22'W Ilo 10 km north to Punta Coles Morro Sama 18º00'S, 70º53'W Tacna 70 km south-east to Morro Sama" --Carlos B. Zavalaga <czav@telematic.edu.pe>