Isla Lobos de Tierra (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
 Satellite view of the island. | |
  Lobos de Tierra Island Location of the island | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 6°25′40″S80°51′29″W / 6.42778°S 80.85806°W /-6.42778; -80.85806 |
| Area | 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi)[1] |
| Length | 10 km (6 mi) |
| Width | 3 km (1.9 mi) |
| Administration | |
| Region | Lambayeque |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
Lobos de Tierra is aPeruvian island situated 19 km from the mainland close to theIllescas Peninsula and the boundary between the departments ofPiura andLambayeque regions.[1] Its area is 16 km2,[1] its approximate length is 10 km, and its approximate width is 3 km. Around the island there are several islets such as El León and Albatros. It is part of Peru’sGuano Islands, Islets, and Capes National Reserve System.
In 1863 the island was estimated to haveguano deposits of almost 7 millionmetric tons,[2] which were then exploited without any control. The number proved to be an overestimate[2] and today that wealth has almost disappeared and the little remaining guano does not have the same quality as before.
The climate of Lobos de Tierra is warm and dry. It owes its name to its proximity to the coast and the presence ofeared seals ("lobo marino" in Spanish, or "sea wolves"). At timesblue whales can be seen.[3]
The island is home to birds such as thekelp gulls,[4]boobies[5][6] andcormorants[5] who were the primary producers during the heyday of guano collecting. It has been designated anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International because it supports significant populations of resident or breedingseabirds, includingHumboldt penguins,Peruvian diving-petrels,Peruvian pelicans,blue-footed andPeruvian boobies, andred-legged andguanay cormorants.[7]
An 1863 survey of the islands north of Lima identified 6.8 million metric tons of phosphatic guano on Isla Lobos de Tierra alone. All of those proved to be gross overestimates.
