Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

peru

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Discoverers Expedition Vilcabamba 2016: Lima

“naked” peruvian dog (perro calato de sechura in Spanish)
The bizarre, and beautiful, “naked” peruvian dog (perro calato de sechura in Spanish), a common companion of local peoples.
The bay of Pucusana with the arid slopes of the Atacama desert in the background.
The bay of Pucusana with the arid slopes of the Atacama desert in the background.
pelican (Pelecanus tagus)
The pelican (Pelecanus tagus), lord of the bay.
zarcillo (Larosterna inca)
A group of the common and beautiful zarcillo (Larosterna inca).
colony of boobies
A colony of boobies (Sula variegata), one of the most abundant species along the coast of Lima.
sea lions
Sleepy sea lions (Otaria byronia) enjoying the burning sun and the refreshing splashes of salty water.
sea lion
A huge male sea lion (Otaria byronia) dries its hairy skin under a strong afternoon sun and guards its privileged position amongst a group of females.

February 28, 2016

We arrived to Lima on a sunny, hot day and decided to make a trip to the beach to see some wildlife. We left the outskirts of the gigantic city of Lima on a bus that headed South through the arid regions of the Atacama desert. After about an hour we reached the small and beautiful fishermen village of Pucusana.

Dozens of boats were docked along an ample and peaceful bay where a crowd of people, pelicans, gulls, and sea lions where all busy doing what they do. We rented an small boat and went off to enjoy the wonders of the Pacific coast of the Atacama desert, one of the most productive and best preserved coastal areas of the world—millions of sea birds populate the many islands, islets, and cliffs of the coast. The sea birds produce the guano, a rich manure that has been exploited ever since Alexander von Humboldt described its wonders after studying it at the port of Callao. Here is a glimpse, in pictures, of the few hours we spent in this extraordinary ecosystem.

José Padial and his team of researchers have traveled to the remote Vilcabamba mountains of Peru in the pursuit of biodiversity research. He blogs and sends photos as often as possible capturing his expedition along the way and his return home to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, PA.

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Blue Fleece Jacket

Hikers in the forest
by Patrick McShea

Call it simple digital entertainment.

While checking the Tumblr blog of Carnegie Museum of Natural History for pictures and progress reports from the remote mountains of Peru, (Discoverers Expedition Vilcabamba 2016), I’ve been paying close attention to the garments worn by the field crew.

Weeks ago, when José Padial let fellow museum employees know about his team’s need for clothing that could provide insulation under ponchos, Amy Henrici and I assembled a bag of various fleece and wool items.

Today, in one of Maira Duarte’s beautiful photos, I spotted an old friend. The aqua blue fleece jacket that had once kept me warm on many miles of cross-country skiing in the Laurel Highlands was providing a similar benefit to an expedition member in very different terrain on another continent.

Patrick McShea works in the Education and Visitor Experience department of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences of working at the museum.