People think of Peru as a destination to see ancient Inca ruins and spectacular mountains but seem to forget that it also has an ocean that is full of life. In fact a study by the Peruvian conservation group Mundo Azul has shown that it has the world's highest density of coastal bottlenose dolphins. Over 1500 individual dolphins have been photo identified along the 180km stretch of coast between Lima and Paracas meaning an average density of over 6 dolphins per kilometre. There is now a project based in Lima which arranges a variety of dolphin and whale watching trips whilst also helping to protect them. I joined them for their full day dolphin trip and lost count of the number of dolphins we saw at very close quarters including one pod of over 20. We also saw plenty of sea lions, Humboldt penguins and a huge range of bird life including pelicans and Inca terns. The profits from these trips are used to fund research and conservation projects that have already made a difference to this area so if you are remotely near Lima I cannot recommend this trip highly enough. A link to their website is here ... enjoy !