Eastern Pacific High Sea

Off southern Peru, the eastern Pacific borders a dry coast broken by river valleys descending from the Andes. The cold Humboldt Current and upwelling waters bring nutrients to the surface, supporting large populations of fish and seabirds. Coastal communities long drew food from this productive sea, while their settlements exchanged goods with the valleys inland. Beyond the headlands, vessels following the coast faced a long open passage between scattered anchorages.