Peruvian Scallop Beds
Dive site
Sandy shelves at 10 to 18 metres around the inner bay of Paracas support dense aggregations of the Peruvian scallop, one of the most commercially important endemic bivalves on the South American Pacific coast. Divers can observe them filter-feeding in the upwelling currents, with sea lions occasionally making passes through the beds and Peruvian pelicans diving from the surface above. An unusual dive that rewards slow, close-focus observation.
Conditions
Depth
8 to 20 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
4 to 10 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
12 to 21°C
7mm wetsuit or drysuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| Vis (m) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | calm | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | calm | calm | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Peruvian scallop
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
South American sea lion
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Peruvian pelican
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Peruvian burrfish
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Field journal
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