Pachacámac Islands
Native name: Islas Pachacámac Nickname: Whale Islands | |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Location | Pacific Ocean (Mar de Grau) |
| Major islands | 2 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Lima |
| District | Lurín |
The Pachacámac Islands (Spanish: Islas Pachacámac), also known as Cavillaca Islands (Spanish: Islas Cavillaca) or as Whale Islands (Spanish: Isla Ballena), are a group of islands located in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Lurín District, in Lima Province, Peru. Its formed by two main islands (the 23,6 ha Pachacámac Island and the 7,05 ha Peñón Pachacámac) and three islets.
They are located about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of the mouth of the Lurín River and about 31 31 kilometres (19 mi) from the city of Lima. The islands have a total area of 31.20 hectares and constitute the habitat of numerous species of seabirds. For this reason, in 2009 the islands were protected by law within the Guano Islands, Islets, and Capes National Reserve System, a natural reserve that protects and conserves representative samples of the biological diversity of the marine-coastal ecosystems of Peru.