Here, on the coast of Peru, there are so many seabirds fishing in the offshore waters that the cliffs are covered in droppings over a metre thick. Humboldt penguins regard the soft guano as a good material in which to dig their nest balls. But it’s a messy business. It’s the breeding season and more hopeful nesters arrive, spotless from swimming in the sea. Time for the residents to get cleaned up and catch some fish for themselves and their chicks. To get to the sea, they cross the remains of an old nesting ground. Only 100 metres to go. But the beach is already crowded with sea lions. They too have come ashore to raise their young and they don’t like being disturbed. To get through such a minefield needs a bold and courageous leader. A brave start. A dead end. Now he’s in trouble. This is going to need a bit of crowd surfing. But now all the sea lions are roused. Getting through them will be tricky. A cleansing bathe in the ocean. Well worth the effort.
