Palomino Island Tour: A Wildlife Lover’s Experience – Review

So, you think you are drawn to see some wildlife, and rather close up, near Lima, Peru? A Palomino Island tour might be just what you need. Now, imagine yourself out on a boat, zipping across the ocean, with the prospect to actually swim alongside hundreds of playful sea lions. That alone makes it a memorable experience. It almost sounds too good to be credible, does it not? This review is set to give you a very genuine feel of what the Palomino Islands excursion from Lima involves, offering advice and things you ought to take into account to maximize your enjoyment. It is that what you seek, is it not?

Getting to the Islands and Tour Options

OK, the first step involves setting off from Lima, pretty usually from the Miraflores or San Isidro areas. The most operators bundle transport to Callao, that’s the port where these boat tours typically set sail from. It is that what the offer states, typically. Just be ready for like, say, a 30-45 minute ride depending on traffic. When you get to Callao, it’s more often than not, that there are a lot of tour companies providing Palomino Island trips. It is quite a choice you’ll have to make. Most commonly, that consist of a boat tour lasting around 4 hours, inclusive of travel time to and from the islands, circling the other islands along the way – more on them later – plus, naturally, the time set aside for swimming with the sea lions. Arguably, that makes it a full half-day activity. These kinds of excursions tends to range in , you know, say, from $50 to $80 USD, so depending on the particular provider and what they offer within that package. Some are that a bit more luxurious than others.

The Boat Trip Itself

As I was saying, the boat trip itself is more often than not quite an experience, more or less. The tour guides, by the way, often provide commentaries, explaining the past history of the islands you happen to be sailing past, that too including information on the marine life, but also, birdlife you might come across on the way, if you didn’t know. The boats do, usually, pass by the San Lorenzo Island, that is the largest island off the coast of Callao, too its almost steeped in past history, including a stint being used as a military base, or something similar to that. Next there’s Cavinzas Islands. They are actually rock formations that offer a home to colonies of seabirds. So if you enjoy seeing all those birds, this could well be a nice prelude. What’s really breathtaking about the journey, basically, it is just to see the sheer number of birds flying all over the place, that’s pretty astounding for some people, for instance, those not accustomed to wildlife. The cruise itself may take somewhere around 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, pretty much, depending on sea conditions, just to reach Palomino Islands, which means, clearly, it’s important to be well prepared. Just that, in turn, can be part of the thrill though.

Swimming with Sea Lions: A Surreal Experience

So, the highlight of the excursion is obviously getting to swim alongside the sea lions on Palomino Island. That’s what most people are interested in. The boat actually gets fairly close to the island, very allowing passengers, that means you, to get into the water for a swim. The guides generally provide wetsuits because, surprisingly, the Pacific Ocean waters can be very cool, just cold in some cases, to say the least, so taking that advice seems like something you should be doing to be comfortable in the water. At first, by the way, it may be a bit daunting seeing all those sea lions all around you, you know. There can be literally hundreds of them! Now, bear in mind, they’re wild animals, just so that it pays to follow the advice of the guides. However, usually, I would say that the sea lions, by the way, are inquisitive and playful, that could include sometimes swimming right up to you. They seem to get so curious about the visitors, but mostly, like your not bothered providing you adhere to basic safety instructions and be respectful. Actually, many people describe it, this experience as amazing, unique and something, really unforgettable. And you might do too, at the end of the day!

What to Bring and Consider

At any rate, to really, seriously get the maximum out of this excursion, keep a few things at heart: Obviously, the most imperative, is to actually bring a swimsuit and a towel. The chances are good that you’re going to get into the water and feel just as comfortable when you have dry stuff afterwards. OK, that said, most operators do actually provide wetsuits, just, very, very double-check this when booking to ensure, in a way, there’s no surprise when you arrive. You might be surprised about their additional sizes so you want to confirm before so. Actually, it’s suggested to take a camera, perhaps a GoPro, specifically, one that can be used in underwater photography. Really, photographing the sea lions from just beneath the surface really provides pretty awesome shots. Similarly to using sunscreen, just to help to safeguard yourself from sunburn. Even on like your overcast days, the sun at sea could be extremely intensive. Clearly it’s necessary to drink plenty of water to be well-hydrated, mainly, actually, given you might easily spend a couple of hours out on the sea. To be fair, if you have any worries about seasickness, that actually is suggested to have seasickness pills beforehand. That boat trip could become bumpy sometimes, in the same way, those prone to motion sickness could potentially feel queasy. The same with listening very attentively to the security briefing furnished with the tour guides and comply with their guidelines while around the sea lions, so maintaining both your wellbeing and safety. By the way, don’t affect them. They need their space.