There are more than 30 species of whales and dolphins registered in Peruvian waters (approximately 37 % of the world’s cetacean species. The most common species to observe close to the coast are Bottlenose dolphins, but a little further of you may commonly see two species of Common dolphins, Dusky dolphins and even Orcas. Sperm whales can be observed off the Peruvian coast all year long and other species like Blue Whales, Sei whales, Fin Whales and Humpback whales do pass along the coast during their migrations between the Antarctic and Ecuador.

Nevertheless, there is little known and published about the geographical and spatial distribution of whales and dolphins along the Peruvian coast. Having a detailed knowledge on whale and dolphin distribution is a key element for any future conservation effort including the promotion of sustainable whale- and dolphin watching tourism as an alternative to the existing illegal killing of dolphins for human consumption.

As part of Mundo Azul´s whale and dolphin conservation program we are aiming to investigate dolphin populations - covering a coastal area stretching out about 250 kilometers southwards from Peru’s capital Lima to the Paracas National Reserve. The program’s goals are to identify the local groups and individual dolphins along the central Peruvian coast using photo-identification and to set up a long-term monitoring program in order to identify trends of population development.

One of the ports used during the initial phase of this dolphin research program is the fishermen’s port of Pucusana as an operational base, which is located about 70 kilometers south of Lima in the center of the investigation area. The second area to investigate is the Bay of Paracas in the northern limit of the Paracas National Reserve. As a Volunteer researcher you will work in both areas. During an initial research, our researchers closely observed dolphins nearly every day. Some dolphins closely approach the research boats, and the first handful of individuals has been successfully identified through photo-identification techniques.

See what international researcher, conservationists and leading wildlife photographers have to say about our whale and dolphin research, click here.

During one week of your stay with the program you will also take part in boat trips leaving from Pucusana port and leading up to 20 miles offshore in order to register whale, dolphin and marine bird presence in this still poorly investigated area.

In this area you will also encounter a great number of the up to 26 species of Albatross and Petrels registered in Peruvian waters. Even though there are no breeding colonies of theses marine birds in Peru itself, The Humboldt current is the most important feeding ground for these animals arriving form areas as far off as New Zealand. Albatross and Petrels are threatened by longline fisheries for sharks and other fish species in Peru. Researching their abundance in Peru will provide us with important data in order to lobby for a stricter protection.

As a volunteer in our dolphin research program, you will form an integral part of our research team, daily leaving port at Pucusana on Mundo Azul´s research vessel to collect important information on the dolphin population´s distribution area, their behavior and interactions. In Paracas we will work with an inflatable boat. You can choose taking part in a two weeks program or in a four weeks program. You will not only be trained to photo-identify individual dolphins, but will also have the opportunity to observe other marine wildlife such as sea turtles, sea lions, marine otters, Humboldt penguins and many other species of marine birds.

Project Skills Required

Participation as a volunteer in the dolphin photo-identification project requires no specialized skill-set. You will be oriented and trained by our research team to participate fully in the project once you arrive at the study site. Although our field staff speaks English, a little Spanish is of course to your advantage in communications with local fishermen. The only skill we ask for is patience, which is important while learning a new language and negotiating new and different local customs.

We hope that volunteers are open to new adventures, committed to the objectives of the project, and are able to live in a simple environment, in constant and close contact with nature.

If you want to learn more about the places where our programs take place, click here:

Pucusana
Paracas National Reserve

If you want to join, click the links:
Dolphin surveys (18 days)
Dolphin, whale and albatros surveys (one month)

If you would like to learn more about our volunteer programs, please follow the following links:

• Security and health
• Peru travel information
• Protecting dolphins through research