02 February 2016



We arrived to our northernmost site early on the morning of the 17th. We found Pichidangui to be a quiet beach town with a nice little port for artisanal fisheries. Full of energy and a bit of anxiety with the start of the trip, we quickly descended upon the fish market to ask local fishermen if they knew the whereabouts of a few piure. Much to our discontent, we were told that all of the ascidians sold at the market were imported from large aquaculture industry several hundred kilometers away.

This left us with no other option than to get into the cold water and try to find the beasts on our own. Luckily, though, before getting into the water, we spotted a dive shop. Who better to ask than thems that spends many hours below the water's surface! "Dear Divemaster, might you be able to tell us where we might find some piures?" With some hemming and hawing and consulting with the boss, we were reluctantly given an invaluable piece of information... Look on boat ropes.  Shallow, easy to access with only a snorkel, boat ropes would be our new target, because as it turns out, the little piures love to bioaccumulate on anchor lines! Hip hip hooray! Site one = success



sampling pears would be so much easier!

marine mammals hanging around giving a good show

a face only a mother could love
photo credits: 2, 5, 7 taken by dear Erwan!

1 comment:

  1. Pablo looks a little rough after a few days in the water, in that last picture.

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